It's a kind of magic
by Honeybeehere
Summary: Diana Preston's life was normal. As normal as a teen Witch's life could be, that was until Scott McCall became a Werewolf, then it just got messy. An ancient form of magic binding human and Witch, if she wants to survive she'll have to make sure that he does too.
1. Chapter 1

It had been two weeks now and Diana Preston was certain. This certainty was what caused her to plonk herself down next to Stiles in English.

"Erm, Hello?" He shifted nervously, Diana was one of Lydia Martin's closest friends and she was leaning into his space. Scott was in front of him, looking worried.  
"How long has your boy Scott been a werewolf?" Diana demanded outright. It was an aspect of her personality that Lydia loved so much, her ability to dive straight in.

The boy paled. Stiles began to shake his head no; Diana only rolled her eyes,

"How, er, how do you know about this stuff?" Stiles asked carefully, Diana gave him a blinding smile, she looked at his pencil currently being held in his right hand,  
"What colour's your pencil?" She asked, Stiles looked confused but answered correctly,

"Blue."

"Okay." Stiles looked back at the now neon pink utensil in his hand. Diana lent back across and blew on it, before the boys eyes the pencil turned back to blue.

"What? Did you just do?" He floundered, Diana winked,

"Magic." She whispered.

"Witch!" Stiles blurted. Diana had begun to copy from the board but nodded at the accusation.  
For the rest of the English lesson Stiles was astounded and blatantly stared at her. So much so that when Mr White came to hand out the homework he commented on it.

"Mr Stilinski, since you find Miss Preston so fascinating she will be the one that you work on the extra reading with, next class you two will be reading aloud passages five through fifteen."

Diana's head whipped round to a very red Stiles sinking lower in his seat. She sighed and packed up her things to the bell. Stiles watched her again as she did so, he couldn't quite figure out how he had missed it for so long, the faint aura of power about her but maybe she had always looked like that?  
Diana stood, a slip of aged looking paper slipped from her folder falling onto the ground just by Stiles, it looked important so he bent to pick it up,

"Hey Diana, you dropped this."

Diana looked back just at Stile's hand made contact with the paper

"No!" She shot out her hand but it was too late. He held it in his right hand.

"Agh!" Stiles threw the paper away from him in pain clutching his wrist. He glanced up to Diana, she was close to tears. Cautiously he scooped up the paper again slowly giving it back to the only other person in the empty classroom. She shakily took it from him and dreading what she would find looked the now crumpled papyrus over. Totally blank.

Stiles would be saying he was lying if the crushing disappointment that bloomed in her eyes didn't hurt but he tried not to let it show, especially as she stormed from the room leaving him standing foolishly looking after her.

Diana felt herself become despondent for the rest of the, thankfully, short remainder of the day. Eventually the last bell rung. Everyone was filing out of school to the parking lot and Diana was with them. She had to talk to Stiles; he had no idea what he had just done. The hell that this could put her through. Scanning the corridor she spotted the back of his head and ran after him.

"Stiles!" She cried out making him stop and turn.

"Hey." He greeted confused. He still was surprised that Diana knew his name let alone was speaking to him. She seemed twitchy.

"I need to talk to you, could I come over tonight?" His eyes widened but he nodded emphatically.

Diana pulled out her phone and offered it to him,

"I'll text you; it's the parent teacher thing tonight so we should have maybe an hour and a half." He took her phone and imputed his number giving the rose gold device back to its owner.

"Hey, look I'm sorry about what happened in English by the way." He tried but Diana shrugged,

"Don't worry about it, not like we can take it back after all." She answered cryptically. Stiles couldn't figure it out but nodded while they parted ways.

Diana crashed into her bedroom throwing her bag to the foot of her bed. She launched herself at the comfortable bedding face down and groaned. Why did it have to be him?  
"You seem stressed dear." A voice came from her mirror, the large one leaning on the wall by her bathroom door. It was covered with a type of dark cloth which was itself covered in patterns and sigils.

"The thing we have been working on for Uncle Simon and Aunt Heather well it obviously wasn't for them." Diana pulled her face from her pillow and pushed her thick auburn locks away from her face to look at the covered mirror.

"What do you mean Diana?" The voice asked again, it was a kind voice, one with love directed behind it.

"I mean, I was going to give it to them tonight after school but it fell out of my folder after English class and a boy picked it up."

Silence,

Diana nodded her head from side to side before letting it fall back to the pillow with a thunk.

"I'm sorry darling." The voice said eventually. "All that work and it wasn't even for them."

"That is not the worst part." Diana groaned.

"What is the worst part?"

"He's the Sheriffs son, he refuses to be safe, that and his best friend is a werewolf and you know how they attract trouble."

Her companion hummed in agreement,

"The Hales?"

"Bitten, not born. Derek is helping him though, I know that much."

"If he's been bitten then there is an Alpha building a pack." The voice became concerned. "You need to be careful, this boy…"

"Could kill me, I know." Diana pulled herself and looked about her room, the young witch had everything in here, in front of her bed was a wall of shelves that fit round her door, they were covered in books of all kinds and instruments of the craft, to her right was her wardrobe a large walk in closet filled with Lydia Martin's idea of heaven, on the wall by her bed were two dormer windows, one had a window seat and the other was filled by a desk currently covered in school work and make up, the wall raised at an angle above her brass bed to form a slant into the middle of her ceiling. It was a large enough bedroom, especially for a young witch.  
Her family had a policy of not displaying wealth, sure they did some things but overt displays often courted jealousy and as the family was what they were they did not want that. When people get jealous they begin to look for ways to undermine you. It's not pretty.

Diana reached for her bag and summoned her phone; she was going to sort this out. Come hell or high water, she was sorting this out.

[Stiles, I'll be round for half five. Diana]

She sent off and within seconds she got a reply,

[I look forward to it.]

She rolled her eyes, goddess he was so weird.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles paced his room nervously at half five, a hot girl was coming over.  
She was going to be in his room. Talking to him, not just any hot girl though, Lydia's best friend.  
Just as he was beginning to freak out his doorbell rang and he froze.

Diana could hear the rapid movement of the boy behind the door and smirked, _he doesn't have many girls coming to his house does he?_ She thought to herself.

"Diana, hey." Stiles all but wrenched the door off its hinges as he opened it. He smiled breathlessly at her to which she calmly smiled back. _I really need to calm down_.  
Diana frowned, that was not one of her thoughts, _She probably thinks I'm weird enough_. _Don't need to put her off by being, off._

"Your room?" She prompted stepping inside. Stiles nodded rapidly and turned to quickly move up the stairs. Diana rolled her eyes at the still open door and clicked her fingers following after the boy at a more sedate pace. The door shut itself with a resounding click.

"What, what do you need to talk to me about, is it about Scott? I bet it's about Scott." _Lately everything's been about Scott._

"Stop." She pointed to his bed, "Sit." She stayed standing before him while he blindly obeyed her.

"You picked up a piece of paper this afternoon." Stiles nodded, "On it was a sigil. It was intended as a gift for my Aunt and Uncle, their anniversary is tomorrow. The Sigil was a spell, intended to be performed like a medieval ritual of courtship, the girl drops the paper and the guy picks it up. Then when he picks up the paper their souls are bound together." Stiles opened his mouth but Diana silenced him with a look, "Meaning, that they die at the same time. What kills one kills the other so they don't ever have to live without each other for even one day."

Stiles paled. He gestured to Diana,

"So when I…" Diana pursed her lips raising her eyebrows,

"Yeah."

"So when I?" He pointed to himself, Diana nodded and he let out a long breath. "I totally did not need this right now."

"You think I did?!" Diana demanded, "I have been working on that spell for months! Now with the damn Agents in town I have to severely pull back if I don't want to be burned alive."

"Well I have a brooding werewolf and another that can't see past said hunter's daughter!" Stiles shot back, getting angry, "I can't even tell my dad because I need to protect him from this, I'm nearly failing two classes because of this werewolf shit and I, ughhh!" Stiles buried his face in his hands gripping the top of his head.  
Looking at him Diana sighed sympathetically. He felt the bed beside him shift, he peaked at the figure next to him, she was sat close enough that if he took a deep breath their shoulders would touch. She removed her hands from their previous position in her ten leather jacket pockets and clasped them in between her knees.

"When I was twelve," She began, "My parents were pulled from our home and killed in our back yard. Halloween. The police could find no leads. But my family knew who it was; they leave a very distinct calling card, a single silver bullet on the dining room table."

She had Stiles' full attention now, so she carried on.

"I had just entered the 'Learning Level' of my magic and my mother was supposed to help me to learn. The only reason that they didn't get me too was that I was at a last minute sleepover with a friend from school. I won't lie and say it wasn't hard to move here after all that had happened but my magic made it easier, I had a focus."

"I remember you moving here. My dad said about what had happened, it was close to my mom so I thought I could help but Lydia claimed you as hers."

"Yeah, she liked my accent." Diana laughed, "What I am trying to say is, well, don't lose sight, your soul is pure, I would know, I can feel it."

"Yeah so what's the deal with this? Can I like call you through whatever this is or am I going to have dreams of you?" Stiles' curiosity was back and Diana laughed,

"You will be linked to me until we die, I'll be putting a lot of protective spells on you in the next few days and yes you may dream of me and me you, I will also be able to communicate with you through directed thoughts and I suppose we will have to be friends. It'll make it less awkward." Diana shrugged.

"Dreams? Like…"

"Ew, no. Dreams like, you enter a room and I'm there, there has to be intent though, they won't be random." Diana pushed back her red hair, "Thank goddess."

Stiles caught her scent then, lilacs, violets and incense. Her green eyes linked with his then and he thought to her,

 _Like this?_

Diana nodded in response.

 _It should make talking privately easier._ She thought back and he laughed springing to his feet,

"This is so cool!" He buzzed; Diana couldn't help but smile at his energy. Witches were always considered, calm, and cool. They had to be, they held a lot of power within.

"To be honest, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would." Diana leant back a little to look at the file on his bed,

 _A police file?_

Diana broadcast.

"Y-yeah." Stiles ran his hand over his head nervously.

"Could I help?" Diana queried, "An extra pair of eyes and all that. Hang on; this is on the Hale fire." Diana reached for the file and it flew into her hand.

"Stiles?!" She frowned up to him, "What the hell?"

He sat down next to her again,

"Do you know the Hales?" Diana shot him a look,

"Yeah, I know the Hales." Like it was obvious. "I did used to visit this place you know? Derek used to babysit me." Stiles looked at her incredulously.

"Oh my god!"

"What? Oh because we are two supernatural families we must have some kind of Romeo and Juliet type thing going on family wise? Oh my Goddess."

"Do you know what happened? It said it could have been arson." Stiles pointed to the report.

"Yeah I know it was. The Argent family have been here before." Diana said pointedly.

"They, they set the fire?" Stiles gasped. Diana nodded closing the file and handing it back.

"Could-" Stiles began but was cut off by Diana's phone suddenly blearing Oingo Boingo, Dead Man's Party.

"Hey Uncle Si." Diana answered coolly, "What? Seriously? No way! Okay, well I'm at a friend's right now but I'll be home soon." Diana made eye contact with Stiles, "No, I'm perfectly safe, I'm at the Sheriffs house." Pride swelled in his chest at that, she rolled at her eyes though he had a dopey grin on his face. "Yeah you too."

"What's happened?" Stiles pressed excited.

"There was an actual mountain lion at the school, a bunch of people panicked, Alison's dad shot it, but your dad got hit by a car in the panic." Stiles shot to his feet.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "I gotta-"

"No you don't. He's fine, my Uncle's with him, so is my Aunt. My Aunt is like me, he'll be fine. Besides Heather's an EMT."

"You don't understand!" Stiles snapped. Diana had had enough,

"Cessabit." She put her hand on his forearm; Stiles felt a sense of absolute calm wash over him. He hadn't felt like this before, his brain slowed to a crawl, it was heady like being on a lot of Adderall but broad spectrum.

"Woah, what is that?" He asked focusing his sight on the girl sat on his bed.

"Magic, what you're feeling is true calm. I can't do that to you often but you looked like you were going to freak out so…"

"This is amazing." Stiles grinned happily. Diana took her hand off his arm,

"Yeah, it will last for about half an hour and will gradually wear off. Don't drive like this; think of it as being drunk." Diana warned standing to guide him back to his computer chair.

"I still can't believe that you're really a Witch, it's just too cool." Stiles giggled slightly, "You have to look after me too." He grinned stupidly, "Soul buddy."

Diana groaned, this was going to be difficult.

"Try to do the English homework, I guarantee it will be easier now." She prompted and turned his chair to the desk, "I'll see myself out."

Stiles nodded dumbly after her as she left his room.

Diana shut her car door and stared for a second at the lit house. Suddenly she burst into laughter,

 _What a cosmic joke._ She thought to herself turning her car over and heading back to her home.


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles was pissed. Royally pissed. After Diana had left last night he had called his dad to see if he was alright, he was, but then whatever Diana had done to him began to wear off and he began to think. Think how selfish Scott was, how if none of this had happened then his Dad wouldn't have gotten hurt and he wouldn't be neck deep in supernatural shit right now.

So he stopped talking to Scott.

 _Good morning._ Diana's voice floated into his head, he looked around him before remembering their discussion last night.

 _Don't look round like that, it looks weird, just act normal._ She admonished softly, _I'm in Geography right now but I think you need to talk._

 _I'm fine._ Stiles shot back, staring down at his work.

 _Clearly._ Diana sassed. _Look, you need to talk to someone and it might as well be me._

Stiles rolled his eyes, _Scott's just so obsessed with Alison it's blinding him to everything else that's going on. He can never see the bigger picture. If it wasn't for him then my Dad wouldn't have gotten hurt._ Stiles unloaded.

 _Yeah, I get that._ Diana replied, _But maybe look at it this way, if it was you would he still be there for you? I know it's hard and there aren't many others that you know that know like you do, but don't lose your friend over this._

 _Why do you even care? It's not like you talked to me before this. You have,_ Stiles stopped short he was going to mention about her family but then he remembered that she was just as broken as he was.

 _I have what Stiles? I have memories, the same as you and like it or not I'm stuck with you, I thought the least I could do was try to help._ Her voice in his head was angry and hurt. Immediately he regretted his words and tried to get her back.

 _Diana? Diana please, I'm sorry._

She had shut him out. He slumped in his seat sadly as the bell rung for next period.

Scott raced to the seat behind Stiles who had positioned himself so that he was behind Diana.

Scott began to explain about Derek while Stiles tried his hardest to not talk to him. Eventually he broke,

"If I was talking to you I'd say you were an idiot for trusting him." He focused on Diana's head "But obviously I'm not talking to you."

She could feel the urge he had to council his friend spilling over and smiled slightly to herself,

Stiles flipped round after a hard moment,

"What did he say?"

Scott grinned at his friend. Stiles' head was filled with the sound of Diana laughing at him,

 _Yeah, shut up. I'm still angry at him_. He thought at her,

 _No. It's cute; you're like a married couple_. She laughed in his head.

 _So are you not angry at me anymore? I am sorry about before._ He could see Diana shrug in response and he sighed.

 _I'm a lot of things at the moment but nothing is directed at you_. She said evasively,

 _You know you could just give me a straight answer_.

 _I can't lie, it's part of the whole being a Witch deal. You learn quickly how to only say what's needed._

 _Oh right. Okay then sorry_. Stiles flushed slightly before registering that Scott was telling him about Derek's big plan and focusing on that.

Diana didn't really see Stiles for the rest of the day, something about him being Scott's teacher.

"Your Yoda I will be." Stiles said happily sat across from the wolf in the lunch room, "I said it backwards-"

"Yeah, I-I know." Scott said cutting across Stiles,

"Alright you know what, I definitely still hate you." He laughed sarcastically and began to snatch his books back from Scott who was trying desperately to hide from Alison who was sat the table over with Diana.

"Oh yeah." He said leaving the table. Alison saw Scott and any conversation she had with Diana was forsaken for chasing after the boy. Diana looked up with a 'Really' expression before following.

 _Nice Yoda reference by the way. I love those films._ Diana thought to Stiles as she swanned out of the lunch room still eating her red apple.

 _Seriously? You like them?_

 _Stiles, my father was a freeze, he could just about lift things like Luke does on Dagobah of course he showed me those films._

 _What's a freeze?_ Stiles wondered.

 _It's what the male offspring of a Witch is called; their power is kind of like an echo of their mother's most dominant talent._ Diana explained carefully.

 _Ah cool. So, which one is your favourite?_ He asked secretly testing the girl. Diana smirked,

 _Empire, you can't catch me out with that test Stiles I know how bad the prequels are_. _Hey if you're looking for a way to train Scott you could hurt him and make him stop turning through the pain._ Diana suggested as she headed towards her other friends in the corridor. _Derek always used to say that it was painful round the full moon_.

 _That would be a good revenge too. Thanks_. Stiles said before going quiet.

Diana looked out the window in her History class and had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Stiles had taken her suggestion and was now pelting Scott with lacrosse balls.

The rest of her day passed quietly, she didn't hear about anything going wrong with her coven, the main core had chosen to stay despite the threat from the hunters but a temporary ban had been put on outright magic, they all felt a little stilted because of it.  
Even Stiles had been quiet. That was until the end of the day.

 _Hey, I'm in detention. Again. Also I made up with Scott by the way_. Stiles said, Diana was pulling up to her house and remained on the drive for a moment. _I took your advice from this morning_.

 _Good, I'm glad you have your brother back_. Diana exited her car and entered her house. It was a modest-ish house with plenty of dormer windows on the third floor and a large driveway leading to a large front door. The coven often used this house for meetings as it had been handed down the maternal line for centuries. It was just how the Preston's had done things. They passed the gift down the maternal line, why not everything else.  
Realistically the house was hers, her mother had been the heir but had let her brother have it for free and now her Uncle Simon held the estate in trust until her eighteenth birthday. Then the Preston fortune would be hers to control from the accountancy firm to the estate management.

"How did school go today honey?" Her Aunt greeted her from the kitchen as she walked in.

"Good, there is a new werewolf in town; he's dating the Argent girl." Diana breezed picking at a bunch of grapes on the island counter. "But I got an A in Geography."

"Anything else?" Heather prompted, Diana shook her head no. "Well, the feedback last night was good. You seem to be doing alright, maybe throw a grade in History or Econ, don't want to be too perfect. Other than that we're proud of you."

Heather leant over and kissed the head of her niece. She had been through a lot in her young life and Heather wanted her to know that she was loved.

Diana looked up at the greying blonde woman with a smile.

"Thank you." Heather was shocked for a second as Diana looked the spit of her mother, the woman she had grown up with. "How did the coven meeting go today?"

"Well actually, we all agreed to carry on with limited casting, and that we would be warding our homes to high heaven as a precaution." Diana nodded,

"That is wise, anything I can help with?" Heather grimaced and nodded.

"We need you to get close to the daughter. She might accidentally let slip something."

"Spying?" Diana raised her eyebrows. She giggled a little "Cool."

Heather sighed in relief,

"I'll let everyone know that you're ok with it." She began to walk back to the large living room primarily used for coven meetings and communication

"Hey, Heather. The Sheriffs son knows what's really going on. I'm going to be getting closer to him too." Diana called after her stopping her Aunt by the double doorway to the living room.  
Heather nodded,

"I think that's a good idea. Keep him safe, Cordelia was a lovely woman I'd hate to think that this family had failed her son."

Diana nodded and wandered up the stairs to her room. The mirror was silent today as if her ancestors knew it was not a good time to talk to her. Instead she started in on her homework.


	4. Chapter 4

[Diana. We are going to signal the Alpha with the schools PA system. Please come to the school.]

[Stiles, I'm not going to break into the school]

[Diana Derek's here.]

[Good then you'll be safe.]

[Please]

[No.]

[What If I get hurt?]

Diana growled at the text stream and rolled her eyes.

[Fine]

[Great how fast can you get here?]

[2 mins]

Diana tied her sneakers to her feet and crossed to her closet, the mirror there was uncovered and full length.

"Unde iter fiat mihi opus est ut" She said clearly into the glass and stepped forward.

Stiles heard a squeak and a sound like a body falling. He whipped round to see Diana whipping her hair back and brushing herself off.

"How did you?" He gaped. She just shrugged and walked over to the little meeting of men.

"Glass travel, it's dirty and nasty but it's quick." She shook her hair out, "Only trouble is the sand. It gets everywhere."

"You brought Preston?" Derek demanded angrily at Stiles.

"Hey, I need her here ok?!" Stiles defended. Diana nodded to her former babysitter,

"He's totally useless without me." She smirked, Stiles gaped at her,

"I am not-" then he saw that she was trying to hold back from laughing at Derek's expression. "You know what?"

"How've you been Tie-Dye?" Derek asked fondly his face softening. Diana grinned and confidently dove in for a hug.

"Been good Dare-Bear."

Scott looked mystified about what was happening.

Diana pulled away from her babysitter and looked back to the boys,

"What the hell?" Scott exclaimed.

"He was my babysitter." Diana defended herself. She sighed tiredly, "Let's just get this over with." She gestured to the door and the boys tentatively entered.

"So why are you really here?" Derek asked when they were alone.

"I was making a spell for my Aunt and Uncle's anniversary, which it tomorrow by the way, and it was a soul binding thing where they would die at the exact same moment. It slipped out of my folder at school and Stiles picked it up thereby completing the ritual and binding our souls together." Derek looked up at the stars in exasperation.

"So that little spaz dies and so do you?" He summarised. Diana moved to lean on the bonnet of the sleek black car.

"Basically."

A cat like yowl filled the air from the PA system.

"Christ." Derek swore with a grimace. Diana shook her head.

 _That was horrendous! What is he trying to do? Howl or act like a wounded cat?_ Diana demanded from Stiles,

 _I know! Ok I know. Hang on_. He snapped back.

A true werewolf howl sounded from the school then shaking the bones in Diana's chest. She looked at Derek in wide eyed panic.  
"Idiots." He grumbled. It wasn't long until those idiots came running out the building looking very proud of themselves.

When he was in reach of Diana she smacked Stiles' arm.

"What the shit?"

Stiles suddenly lost the look of pride.

"Are you two trying to bring the while state down upon us?" Derek demanded.

"I didn't think it would be that loud." Gaufed Scott.

Derek was about to say something else when they noticed that Scott's boss who had been tied up in the back of Derek's car was gone.

Next thing Diana knew she was watching blood pour out of her babysitter's mouth as the Alpha stood behind him.

Stiles immediately seized Diana's hand and began pulling her into the building past Derek's prone body, lying where he had landed from being thrown.

"Lock it! Lock it!" Scott demanded both of them crouched behind the door. Diana stood a little way off in the centre of the corridor inconsolable her body wracked with silent sobs as tears streamed down her face, her body shaking with the shock.

"Do I look like I have the key?"  
An idea bloomed behind Stiles' eyes and he looked out of the little window in the door. The bolt cutters.

"No." Scott began, "Stiles."

Diana looked up at the boys only to see Stiles' figure slip out of the crack in the door. Fear gripped her and she darted forward.

"Stiles!" Scott and she cried, "Run!"

Stiles froze briefly but managed to return to the relative safety of the inside.

The bolt cutters were only just in place when Diana wacked at his arm.

"Stiles." Tears fell freely now "You idiot!" _I could have died._

She kept hitting his arm until Scott was able to get a grip on her both of them sinking to the floor.

 _I'm sorry. I didn't think_. Stiles replied guiltily. Scott gave him a look from behind the weeping girl which said 'What the hell?' But Stiles shook his head and took Diana's hand pulling them both up from the floor.

"We've gotta move." Scott nodded,

"But where?"

"No windows." Diana managed to gasp out her pale face illuminated with the light of the moon.

"The Locker room" both boys chimed and took off with a trailing Diana in tow.

 _Just so you know, I'm now magically useless_. Diana informed Stiles; they turned the corner to the locker room.

 _What do you mean?_

 _It always happens around emotional upset; you have to have the entire self in balance for the magic to work right_. Diana explained entering a room that she would ordinarily have never entered.

 _That's why you can sometimes be a cold bitch?_ Stiles realised.

"Seriously?" Diana raised her palms up and Stiles grimaced,

"Sorry."

"Hey, look I know it's not ideal but it has the least windows Diana." Scott apologised quietly to her thinking the comment was about the lack of hygiene in the boys locker room.

"Whatever." Diana shook her head.  
A clunk distracted the three from her general disgust. Diana subconsciously reached out for Stiles, grasping his arm.

Next thing she knew she was being bundled into a locker while the boys did the same. She could hear the person outside getting closer and closer. Diana began to hear her heart beat in her ears as she waited for the monster to find them.

The door crashed open. She screamed.  
It was the janitor.

"What are you kids doing in here?" He pulled them out of the lockers and pushed them out the door.

"Just listen to me for one second." Stiles tried to explain but Diana knew it was a lost cause. Now she could see him again she wanted to reach out for him like she had before.

"Why don't you just shut up and go?" The janitor directed annoyed at the teens before him.

The door slammed shut and he screamed from behind it. Diana did grasp Stiles then. She was just as human as they were without her magic and with the amount of fear and emotion pooling round in her body she couldn't even light a candle if she tried.

Her hand flew to her mouth when the growl followed the blood spatter on the glass. She began to pull on Stiles' sleeve, who was pulling Scott away from the door.  
Together they took off running into the school.

"Let's get out of here." Diana prompted guiding the boys to the nearest fire door.

They crashed into it but it didn't move more than a little. The monster had put the bins in front of the doors.

"What the hell?" Stiles demanded, Scott stuck his head out of the small gap and confirmed the blockage was indeed the bins.

Stiles began to franticly push on the doors trying to move the bins.

"Stiles." Diana called, "Stiles. Stop." Her voice made him think of the futility of his actions and he ceased pushing. The panic was still evident in his eyes though and Diana could feel he was close to breaking.

Scott pulled him away from the doors and they started off back down the corridor as one.

"I'm not dying here. I'm not dying at school." He insisted, Diana nodded in solidarity to that statement. She had no desire to die at this age either.

"We're not going to die." Scott affirmed,

"What is it doing? What does it want?" Stiles questioned his freak out imminent.

 _I'm not going to let you die here Stiles_. Diana tried to assure the scared boy.

"Like you can do anything Diana, you said so yourself you can't use magic because of Derek's death." He snapped at her. Scott looked back and forth between the pair confused.

"Okay, what's going on with you two? You barely know each other and now she's turning up places and _you_ smell like Stiles all the time." He demanded.

"Diana's a Witch. Now can we get out of here please before we all die?!" Stiles blurted angry at the fact they had stopped.

"A Witch?" Scott was astounded, just when he thought his life couldn't get any weirder.

"Keep it to yourself." Diana snarked at him pushing past the two marching off down the corridor. "It wants Scott."

"Derek says it's stronger with a pack." Scott explained to the other terrified teens.

"Oh great, a psychotic werewolf that's into teamwork." Stiles said sarcastically. "That's, that's beautiful."

Scott looked out of the windows then. He stopped Stiles with his left arm, Scott had noticed something on the roof outside. Diana noticing the lapse in conversation turned and looked round at the two.

Stiles and Scott quickly turned and ran away back down the corridor like their lives depended on it, which they did.

Suddenly the beast crashed through the windows of the corridor.

Diana was on the other side of the beast from the boys watching them run away. She did the only thing that she could think of and ran back down the corridor trying desperately to put distance between her and the monster that could rip her limb from limb. Consequently she was moving further and further away from the boy who had by chance been given the power to end her short life.

She stopped a little way off when it became evident that the monster was not after her. She panted, her hands on her knees trying to calm herself back into a magic wielding state once again. Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac floated through her mind then, her mother had sung it to her before bedtime in place of a fairy story because to her they sent the wrong idea about Witches and she didn't want Diana to grow up hating what she was.

She stood and mumbling the lyrics began to wonder where the boys would have ended up. She figured that either way the car park would be a good place for them to all meet again. If they ever did. So she began to head back to the door they entered in at the start of what was turning out to be a hellish night.

"Diana?" It was Alison Argent.

"Alison?" Diana moved quickly towards the other girl, "What are you doing here?"

"Scott texted me, what are you doing here?" The monster must have text her, Diana thought quickly and said,

"Stiles texted me. Something about it being urgent." Diana shrugged, she looked about her anxiously "Now I just can't seem to find them."

Alison moved closer to Diana,

"How about we find them together? I don't like the idea of being alone here for some reason." Diana nodded and began to walk with Diana into the building.

"Hey, how did you get here?" Diana asked suddenly realising that they could have a way out.

"Jackson drove me."

"Jackson's here?" Diana exclaimed surprised. Alison smiled oblivious to the danger,

"Yeah, and Lydia."

Diana paled; her best friend was in the line of fire?

Lydia had effectually adopted Diana back in 6th grade and had been her best friend ever since, she was the first person that Lydia told about her parents divorce and the things going on with Jackson, they had few secrets from each other, other than the obvious.

"We need to find the guys and get out of here." Diana stated with a renewed vigour. Together they wandered off round the school,

"So, I kinda feel like you don't like me much? Is it because of Lydia? Because I want to be friends with you Diana I really do." Alison confessed when they were looking round the pool area,

"I want to be friends with you too Alison." Diana said in her usual detached way.

"Then what is it?" Alison pressed,

"My parents were killed back in England by a guy named Argent, I guess it just brings back bad memories." Diana shrugged, her Aunt had said it was in the Coven's best interests to get close to this girl so that was what she was going to do. The Coven _always_ came first.

 _C'mon Stiles, where are you?_

Alison looked at the auburn haired girl in a different light then, where before she had perceived her as stand offish and cold, Alison now saw a girl still feeling the loss of her parents.

She didn't get a chance to reply however before her phone rang, it was Jackson asking where they were.

"Hey, I can't seem to find them. Did find Diana though, she's looking for them too." Alison answered, "Okay, give me a second we'll be right there."

"Everything ok?" Diana asked. Alison opened her mouth to answer but her phone went off again. Stiles. Diana could clearly see his name on the screen.

 _Seriously, you ring her but won't answer me?_ Diana scolded Stiles,

 _Little busy_. Was his only reply.

 _What is the point in having you in my head if you don't tell me how to help you, oh I'm fine by the way my magic is just about in use_. Diana told him tersely. But when no answer came from Stiles she became annoyed. _Fine_.

"Stiles?" Alison answered,

"Alison, listen to me where are you?" Scott demanded. Alison looked to Diana their faces reflecting each other's irritation.

"I'm at the school looking for you, why weren't you at my place?"

"Where in the school, where are you right now?" Scott demanded.

"On the first floor." Alison detailed still looking at Diana who was listening with rapt attention.

"Where? Where are you exactly?"

"The swimming pools?" Alison was growing confused as to the demanding nature of the call, she had been invited there after all.

"Get to the lobby." Scott directed, "Go now."

Alison was getting scared now and Diana tried to mirror it, after all she was pretending to not know what was going on.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She hung up and together the girls took off towards the direction of the lobby.

When Stiles and Scott crashed into the room Diana breathed out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding.

 _So you're ok then?_ She directed at Stiles raising her eyebrows. In response he pulled open his jacket a little so she could see for herself that he was unharmed.

 _I'm fine. We were able to trap it one of the basement rooms but it got out through the ceiling._ Stiles nodded back at her.

"Okay." Diana breathed. Scott was interrogating Alison next to her but she wasn't paying attention.

Alison showed him her phone.

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't send that text?" Alison said nervously, "Diana got one from Stiles too."

 _Play along_. Diana quickly directed at Stiles, He looked panicked and a little worried but played his part,

"No she couldn't have, I haven't sent any." Stiles said quickly.

"I haven't sent any either." Scott protested. Stiles came closer,

"Look, did you drive here?" He demanded of Alison, she was after all the weakest one of the group, a normal human. She was in the most danger.

"Jackson did."

"Jackson's here?" Scott moaned, Stiles threw his head back; this could not get much worse.

"And Lydia." Alison finished, Stiles looked about him

 _This could literally not get any worse_. Stiles said through their link. Alison's phone began to go then,

"Where are you?" She answered, seconds later the doors to the lobby opened again revealing Lydia and Jackson marching into the room.

"Finally." Lydia sighed, "Can we go now?"

The ceiling began to make a noise like a weight was shifting inside it, Diana took Lydia's hand, her friend would need all the support that Diana could give and she could give a lot. They all looked up.

"Run." Scott directed needlessly, Diana already pulling the other red head towards the stairs.

The ceiling heaved again birthing the monster directly onto the floor below, where they had been standing a second ago.

It gave chase, heading the young students down the corridor towards the lunch room doors. Scott slammed the doors shut behind them and began to lock them.

Diana watched a little way off as they all but Stiles began to pile things up against the doors.

 _The windows. It won't work_. Diana looked to Stiles he nodded.

"Scott wait, not here."

"What was that?" Alison demanded.

"It came in through the ceiling." Lydia cried, the girl was beginning to freak out. Diana moved to hold her friend; Stiles caught her arm and stopped her.

He kept trying to stop them from moving the furniture but they weren't listening.

"Hey!" Diana tried too but was also ignored by the panicking group.

"Guys? Stiles. Talking." He was growing impatient, "Can we hang on one second please?"

They kept moving the chairs to the door not realising the blatant weakness of the room.

"HELLO!" Stiles bellowed throwing up his arms, that finally got them to stop. They all turned to look at Stiles then,

"Okay, nice work. Really beautiful job everyone," Lydia clung to Jackson and Alison moved closer to Scott, Diana looked for their auras noticing them going a black colour, fear literally radiating from them. "Now, what should we do about the twenty foot wall of windows?" Stiles gestured dramatically to the wall of glass. Exasperation coloured their faces.

"Can somebody please explain what's going on. Because I'm freaking out here." Alison pleaded; Diana was beginning to not like her even more. She came from a family of hunters but was as soft as a new born. Alison looked to Scott to explain, Diana rolled her eyes.

 _Some girls really have no capability to save themselves do they?_ Diana thought to what she thought was herself.

 _Some girls don't have five hundred generations of magic behind them Diana._ Stiles replied testily.

 _Fifteen hundred_. Diana corrected,

 _What?_

 _I have fifteen hundred generations of Witches behind me. You really think humans created fire on their own?_ Diana thought,

"How is that relevant now?!" Stiles burst at Diana talking aloud instead of through their connection.

"I'd say that's pretty relevant Stiles. I'd like to know what's going on too." Jackson said looking at Stiles strangely.

"Scott?" Scott was freaking out too but Alison didn't realise, she kept pawing at him, he pushed her away and moved from the group, Diana could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

 _Can you not doin something?_ Stiles asked Diana in his desperation.

 _Nope, I wish I could just grab you and Lydia and just pull you through the nearest full-size reflection but I can't without revealing what I am and not only putting myself at risk but you, and my entire coven_. Diana shook her head.

Jackson looked at the two of them then his arms wide, his face questioning, demanding silently that someone give him answers.

Ah fuck. Stiles thought,

"Somebody killed the janitor." Stiles said giving them something. Scott shot Stiles a look,

"What?" Lydia questioned in disbelief, Stiles moved closer to the group and consequently to Diana who was now on Lydia's other side.

"Yeah the Janitors dead." He breezed trying to emulate Diana's preternatural calmness.

"What's he talking about, this a joke?" Alison demanded looking round the people in the room, mainly Scott. They were starting to freak out now.

"Wha- Who killed him?" Jackson asked,

"No, no, no, this was supposed to be over, it was a mountain lion." Lydia panicked, Diana took her hand and Lydia squeezed it.

Scott was still agonising about what to tell everyone.

"Don't you get it, it wasn't a mountain lion." Jackson told her briskly,

"Well then what was it?" Alison demanded shakily. "What does he want?"

 _Well that answers that._ Diana thought, _She defiantly doesn't know about her family's occupation_.

"What's happening." Alison whispered to herself more than the group. "Scott!"

"I- I don't know." Scott answered just as anxious as the rest of them, Diana was too but she was containing it so that if she had to she could get her and Stiles out.

"If we go out there he's going to kill us." Scott said definitively.

"Us? He's going to kill us?" Lydia demanded, Stiles had moved so that he was by Diana's side then, all of them watching Scott a little way off.

"Who?" Alison breathed, Diana looked at her harshly then, the fear was infectious, she couldn't have Stiles be affected, if he freaked out then she would have to get him home, human anxiety could cause heart problems and she was not dying because of that.

The focus of their attention shifted from Scott to Stiles, he had done the talking before but now he looked like a deer in the headlights.

"Who. Is it?" Alison demanded, she wasn't getting any answers and it was frustrating her no end.

Stiles floundered, looking from Diana to Scott for help.

After an impossibly long moment Scott sounded,

"It's Derek, its Derek Hale." Stiles and Diana looked incredulously at the young werewolf, Diana's mouth opening and closing rapidly. She looked at Stiles only for him to look at her with the same expression.

"Derek killed the janitor?" Jackson scoffed, Alison shook her head,

"Are you sure?"

"I saw him." Scott assured the terrified group.

"The mountain lion." Lydia shakily tried to argue. Diana felt the tips of her left hands fingers go numb under Lydia's grip.

"No! Derek killed them!" Scott didn't turn around, it was probably a good thing as he was a terrible liar.

"All of them?" Alison asked,

"Yeah, starting with his own sister." Scott accused. Diana couldn't find words,

 _I'm so sorry, please just go with it; it might be the only way that we can all get out_. Stiles said down their link, Diana could only respond in emotions and sent them to Stiles,

 _Wow, okay, not feeling great, I get that_. He said reaching for her physically she pulled away this time though.

"And the bus driver?" Alison breathed incredulously.

"A-and the guy in the video store." Scott detailed, the story wasn't really ringing true Diana could hear that in the disbelief in Alison's voice. "It's been Derek the whole time. He's in here with us. If we don't get out now he's going to kill us too."

Scott turned then and locked eyes with Diana; he had just accused her family friend of multiple gruesome murders all so that he could keep his secret. She shook her head softly at him, betrayal clear in her eyes.

"Call the cops." Jackson demanded. Scott was shifting about visibly upset.

"No." Stiles refused.

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, you wanna hear it in Spanish? Noh." Stiles sassed back. "Look Derek killed three people okay, we don't know what he's armed with." Stiles looked at Scott who was being eaten by guilt and thinking desperately how he could get them all out of the building safely.

"Your dad is armed with a whole Sheriff's department." Jackson patronised. "Call him."

"Hey." Diana said stepping between the two boys,

"I'm calling." Lydia announced pulling her phone from her bag. Stiles moved to stop her,

"No, Lydia, would you just hang on?" He demanded; Jackson pushed past Diana to keep Stiles from stopping his girlfriend from calling the police; Diana pushed him off Stiles indignantly. Stiles stopped moving however and stood behind Diana despondently.

"Yes, we are at Beacon Hills high school. We're trapped and we need you to-" Diana looked at Lydia, she had to have been cut off from the other end, Lydia spluttered a bit indicating to Diana this phone call was not going at all well.

"She hung up on me?" Lydia was mystified. There had been a warning about prank calls about a break in at the high school. Diana rolled her eyes with a sigh. Jackson shot her a look in response,

"Said if I called again they would trace it and have me arrested."

"So call again." Alison insisted. Stiles shook his head,

"No they won't trace a cell; and they'll send a car to your house before they send anyone here."

Alison shook her head putting it in her hands,

"Wha- What is this?" She freaked, "Why does Derek wanna kill us, why-" Diana tuned out instead looking to Stiles, his mopey face betraying the hopelessness that he felt.

 _You'll be on my mind, don't give yourself away, to the weight of love, you'll be on your side, don't give yourself away to the weight of love_. Diana pushed down their link, her reasoning being that her mother used to sing to her when she was upset, Diana couldn't hold a tune in a bucket with a lid on it so this was the next best thing.

Stiles glanced down at her his face morphing from hopeless to confused. Diana gave him a little smile in response,

 _I'm on your side. Always_. She nodded at him.

Stiles looks round at Scott who as usual looked clueless. Everyone looked to him,

"Why's everyone looking at me?" He demanded

"You're the one that sent her the text!" Lydia exclaimed, Scott floundered to explain, looking to Stiles for help, eventually snapping at Alison, a hurt look coming over her face.

"Alright why don't we ease back on the throttle here yeah?" Stiles said pushing Scott and him away from the group.

Diana's hand was grasped once again by Lydia pulling her over to comfort Alison while the boys talked; Jackson seemed to have the same idea as Diana and was watching the pair intently.

"I know it goes against your programming but could you at least try and not be a total bitch right now?" Jackson said to Diana. The girls froze; Diana levelled Jackson with a look of disbelief.

"Excuse me." Diana said carefully.

"I don't know if it's a British thing or what but we're all freaking out and you're just acting like it's any other Wednesday night." Jackson accused, Stiles stopped talking to Scott, his focus on the developing situation.

"Rolling your eyes when Alison freaks out and the dumb cop hangs up on Lydia." Jackson moved a little closer to Diana, getting into her space.

 _Diana?_ Stiles asked cautiously, he knew she had a grip on her magic again but looked like she was about to pitch Jackson out the window.

Instead he witnessed what he could only describe as the best card that a girl can ever play.

Diana began to cry. Her eyes welled and spilled over, her face still stoic but her eyes filled with hatred.

"Jackson!" Lydia admonished her boyfriend who had the decency to look ashamed.

 _You ok?_ Stiles queried, Lydia was now comforting both the taller girls, one in each arm.

 _I'm fine. I love making him freak out because he made the girl cry_. Stiles caught her eye, his face full of disbelief at her sarcasm. Diana wiped her eyes with her oversized sheepskin lined denim jacket sleeve; _I have a handle on my magic still if that's what you were really asking_.

"Oh okay assheads!" Jackson snapped, "New plan, Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. Are we good with that?" He looked about him at the girls behind.

"He's right." Scott insisted, "Tell him the truth if you have to just, just _call him_." Stiles looked betrayed, his mouth open in shock.

 _Still on my side?_ He asked,

 _Always_. Diana responded instantly.

"I'm not watching my dad get eaten alive." He told Scott definitively, he shook his head and moved away.

Jackson took that moment to snap.

"Alright give me the phone." Jackson rushed forward grasping at Stiles, Diana raised her hand to stop him with magic if necessary.

It was not necessary. Stiles whipped round and with considerable force punched Jackson in the face knocking him away.

 _Nice hit_. Diana congratulated. It went unanswered.

"Jackson. You ok?" Alison cried rushing to his side. Diana was shocked.

 _She really does not grasp the situation does she?_ Diana thought sparing a glance at Lydia. Lydia appeared hurt by the actions of her friend but quickly hid it, as she always did. It was one of the reasons why Diana loved the girl so much, they both had a no nonsense attitude to life.

Alison stared at Stiles shocked about the sudden violence from the normally quiet boy; the normally quiet boy who was only now pulling his phone from his jacket pocket to call his father.

"Dad, hey it's me." He looked at Diana, his fast growing comfort blanket, "And it's your voice mail. Look I need you to call me back, now. Like right now." Sound resonated from the blocked doors then, the monster was back and was trying to get in, "We're at the school, Dad, we're at the school."

The monsters attempt became more vehement and the teens clustered together, Diana's gaze primarily on her soul partner.

"The kitchen, the door out of the kitchen leads to the stairwell." Diana exclaimed,

"That only goes up!" Jackson argued. Diana reached out for Stiles grasping his sleeve,

"Up is better than here." She said pulling the boy backwards from the door.

Together they tore through the school trying every class room door to see which were open. Eventually coming across the chemistry classroom and piling themselves inside. Scott lodging a stool under the door handle.

They were all silient for a long moment, Scott straining to hear the monster. Stiles grabbed at the shoulder of his jacket.

Diana could hear her heart beat in her ears again.

Her hand flew over her mouth. She could see the shadow pass by the door window.

 _Breathe_. It was Stiles. He was getting to know her like she was getting to know him and he knew in that moment that she had stopped breathing out of fear.

"Jackson how many people can fit in your car?" Scott asked thinking of getting everyone out of there.

"Five if someone squeezes on someone's lap." He replied without the usual bite, he was terrified too.

"I barely fit in the back!" Alison shot down.

"It doesn't matter, there's no getting out without drawing attention." Stiles reasoned.

 _I could get you out if it was just you_. Diana offered, Stiles shook his head minutely at her. _Just an offer_.

"What about this?" Scott directed their attention to the locked fire escape door. "This leads to the roof, we can go down the fire escape to the parking lot in like seconds."

"But it's locked. With a deadbolt. " Diana pointed out.

"The janitor has a key." Scott realised. Diana frowned at him like he was being intentionally thick.

"The janitor's _body_ has a key. I'm calling my Uncle, he can go over to the police station and they can all come and get us." Diana said pulling out her phone.

"I can get it. I can get the key." Scott insisted to Stiles.

Diana moved away so she could call her guardian,

"Hi Di. Why are you calling me from your room?" Her Uncle's voice sounded through the phone.

"I'm not I'm at the school there is some _thing_ trying to kill me and my friends."

The line went silent.

"Hunter?" He pressed.

"Nope, the other problem." Diana said cryptically, knowing that her friends, mainly Jackson were listening in. All the while Scott was trying to come up with an idea of his own.

"Werewolf? Alpha?" He sounded rightly concerned now.

"Ugh-huh." Diana agreed.

"Honey, are you with the Sherriff's boy?"

"With Stiles? Yeah why?" Diana asked, only to be met with silence.

"Hang on for one hour. Can you do that?"

"Yeah I can why-" the line went dead. Diana looked at her phone; it had run out of battery.

She turned back around holding the device aloft.

"Dead." She confirmed, Jackson groaned.

"I'm going for the keys." Scott said moving over to Alison to tell her.

 _What did he say?_ Stiles asked, Diana moved over to him again and stood as close as she could without actual physical contact.

 _He asked if we could hold on for an hour_.

 _A lot can happen in an hour_. Stiles said. Diana nodded,

 _I know_.

"You can't go out there un-armed." Alison insisted. Scott grabbed the pointer stick used for class and tried to hold it like a weapon. Diana put her head in her hand while Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Well its better than nothing!" Scott insisted.

"There's gotta be something else." Stiles said, Lydia looked to Diana then, both of them having the same idea flash through their minds,

"There is." Diana said, Lydia looked to the chemical storage cabinet,

"In there is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail."

"Self-igniting…"

"Molotov Cocktail." Lydia said slowly, Jackson looked round at her and Lydia realised that her stupid mask had fallen, "What? I read it somewhere."

"We don't have a key for that either." Stiles gestured to the locked glass doors. Jackson rolled his eyes and elbowed the pane, smashing it and making loads of noise.

Diana threw her hands out in front of her as if to catch all the sound he was making. He looked at her then, the glass shards littering the floor and part of his now torn leather jacket. Diana rested her hands on her head.

"Want to make some more noise there Jackass?" She hissed.

"Oh shut up," He hissed back while Lydia dove for the chemicals.


	5. Chapter 5

Lydia set everything out in front of her on the teacher's desk and began to make herself a different kind of cocktail than the ones that her and Diana had at their sleepovers.

Fifteen agonising minutes later and it was ready.

Alison began to cry again and protest about Scott's mortality.

 _This again? Really?_ Diana thought wriggling her jaw and sighing. Jackson shot her another look but she shot him one back, hers saying 'Bite me' this time.

 _Di, could you, for appearances sake try to be less of a-_

 _Of a what Stiles? A witch?_

 _No. A bitch_. He looked back at her; she was always by his side. In this he was trying to be on hers.

Diana watched the tearful goodbye with a cool detachment. Maybe her parent's death had hardened her, maybe she was as Jackson said a bitch, but overly emotional displays really made her think how pathetic humans could be.  
She had been raised by several wonderful women, all strong and powerful, all of them in total control of themselves all of the time. Diana had grown up thinking that, that was the way that a Witch behaved, calmly, taking in all aspects of the situation and protecting their own first. They had to, hunters would slaughter them all if they could, and the only way for them to survive was to protect themselves.

The door closed behind Scott and Alison dove into Lydia's arms while Diana stood next to Stiles arms folded and blew out a breath.

"Okay what the hell is your problem?" Jackson rounded on Diana, "Is it just that you're a bitch or is it that you can't wait until you finally see your slaughtered parents again?"

Diana tonged her lip, her eyebrows raised at the insult.

"Hey, Jackson, you wanna back off there a little. Stressful situation for everyone and ohh-"

Diana snapped her right hand forward slapping Jackson with a reverberating _crack._

"Shut up about my family you fucking arse." She spat, arms encircled her pulling her away from the darkly looking boy to the teacher's desk.

"I don't get this." Alison whimpered, "I don't get why he left us and I, I can't stop my hands from shaking." Jackson returned to where he was before between the two girls. Stiles let Diana go after a look at how clam she was.

"It's ok." He said soothingly, grasping her hands in his own. Lydia's eyes widened at the action flickering to Diana, who had seen and was looking wide eyed back at her. Jackson's lip twitched.

More agonising moments went by; Stiles began to twitch, his ADHD acting up under the stress of the situation.

"Jackson you handed me the Sulfuric Acid right?"

"I gave you exactly what you asked for." He snapped, Lydia shrank slightly.

"I'm sure you did." She appeased quickly not noticing Diana's eyes narrowing slightly at the boy.

The waiting was painful not knowing when her Uncle would arrive or if Scott was still alive.

 _Could you do that singing thing again?_ Stiles suddenly asked her. Diana craned her neck to look back at him but he refused to look at her. She could see though the stress was near to making him cry.

 _Yeah sure_. She responded. Going with the first song that came to her mind.

 _Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and, wouldn't you love to love her? Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and, who will be her lover?_ Stiles' breathing became a little less laboured.

Suddenly Jackson pitched forward in pain clutching the back of his neck.

"Jackson you ok?" Alison asked her voice dripping with concern.

Both girls lurched to help him, pulling him to his feet.

"No, I'm fine." Jackson insisted, shaking the girls off.

"That didn't sound okay at all." Alison pointed out.

"I'm ok." Jackson said again,

"Hey what's that on the back of your neck man?" Stiles wondered. That peaked Diana's interest and moved a step closer to where Jackson was currently stood facing away from her. Claw marks.

 _Claw marks, healing but definitely there_. Diana told Stiles while Jackson flinched away from everyone's inquisitive eyes.

They returned to looking at each other again, Diana resumed singing mentally to Stiles, his body claiming quicker than his mind.

 _Click_

Someone had locked the door.

"Scott?" Alison dived for the door shoving the stool out the way, "SCOTT!" she tried frantically to open the door.

"What's he doing?" Lydia asked fear colouring her voice. "STOP!" She had figured it out now, why he had locked them in. It could only have been for their safety.

Alison turned to look at her best friend.

"Do you hear that?" Lydia whipped her head round to face the windows, sirens. Faint sirens.

Stiles gaped at Diana. They had survived, but if the Alpha went for Stiles' dad he could potentially have nobody.

 _It'll be ok. I'm going to make this okay_. Diana assured Stiles. They all rushed forward to the windows, Diana saw for the first time that night the mangled bonnet of Stiles Jeep and grimaced.

 _Sorry about your Jeep_. She thought to him and got no reply which Diana truthfully did not find surprising.

The squad cars pulled up, all three with sirens blearing,

"We're saved." Lydia said happily. Diana spotted her Uncle's navy blue Mercedes and relaxed too, they were indeed saved.

"What really happened?" Simon Preston demanded from his niece the moment he got her alone.

"There is a new Alpha Were in town, maybe not a new one, I don't know, it turned Scott and they had the brilliant idea to summon the thing here and it killed Derek. Chased us round the school all night, I think it was there for Scott because at one point we got separated and it didn't go for me, then I found Alison because it had texted her to come to the school from Scott's phone and then Jackson and Lydia were there and it's all a big mess Si."

"Right." Simon exhaled looking to the sky, checking on the moon that was thankfully not quite full. He ran a hand through his close cropped salt and pepper hair frowning.

"Why were you here?" He asked trying to put all the pieces together in his mind.

"Stiles. He is exceedingly human." Diana said bluntly and cryptically.

"Okay, I need to talk to the Sherriff." Simon guided his charge over to where Stiles and Scott were telling the Sheriff 'what really happened'.

"Noah, a word?"

"Sure Simon." The Sheriff turned back to the boys, "Stay, both of you."

The two walked a little way off towards the cars so as to not be overheard leaving Diana with the Were and the human she was bound to.

"So, crazy way to spend a Wednesday night huh?" Stiles said sarcastically.

"Yeah but let's not do that again in a hurry, okay, very breakable human?" Diana sassed back with a smirk.

"I can't believe that you're a Witch. Does your Uncle know?" Scott asked astounded.

"Dude," Stiles lightly hit his shoulder, "It's her whole family."

"So he does know?" Scott confirmed, Diana nodded.

"I just told him what really happened tonight, we might need the Coven's help."

"Wait, Coven?" Scott exclaimed, Stiles too looked surprised. "There are more of you?"

"One, racist. Two, shut up. Time and a place and this is neither." Diana said testily.

 _You okay there?_ Stiles asked concerned.

 _Fine, I'm just tired_. Diana said rubbing her face with her left hand.

"Well we survived." Stiles said trying to brighten the mood, "Outlasted the Alpha, that's something right?"

"When we were in the Chemistry room, it walked right by us, you don't think it knew we were there?" Scott said effectively killing whatever form of happiness that Stiles was trying to create.

"Well then how come we're still alive?" Stiles theorised. Diana moved to lean on the same railing that Stiles was leaning on,

"It wants Scott to join his pack. Surely that would mean getting rid of his old pack?" Diana put forward, Scott nodded,

"It wants me to get rid of my old pack, exactly."

"What do you mean? What old pack?" Stiles pressed, his curiosity captured.

"Alison, Lydia, Jackson, Diana, you, you're my pack."

"The Alpha doesn't want to kill us." Stiles said realising the truth,

"It wants me to." Scott turned away from the soul bonded pair, "That's not even the worst part."

"How- how in holy hell is that not the worst part Scott?" Stiles demanded.

"He wanted to do it." Diana realised aloud looking to her red sneakers.

"When he made me shift, I wanted to kill you." Scott admitted his eyes betraying his guilt. "All of you."

Stiles looked at Scott, his face betraying the hurt and fear that he felt. Diana still refused to look up, feeling like she was intruding on an intimate moment. That was when she felt it though. A tug, just below her ribcage, like someone had tied something inside her and was pulling on it. She frowned and tried to move away only to find she couldn't go far, a step at the most.

 _Don't go_. Stiles pleaded. Diana looked up at him then, he was doing this.

 _What are you doing?_

 _I don't know, just don't go_. He responded. She nodded and retook her place at his side.

Scott looked up from his shoes; Deaton was sat in the ambulance a little way off. Mystified he began to move towards his boss. His movement catching Stiles attention too, he took Diana's hand and pulled her with him as he followed Scott to the medical van.

"There you are." Deaton greeted. Stiles dropped her hand discreetly.

"How?" Scott asked, "How did you?"

"Get out? Not easily." Deaton shook his head. Diana cocked hers looking over the man. Druid.

"From what they tell me I'm alive because of you." He chuckled, "I think I owe you a raise." Diana smiled fakely, there was a lot more to this man that met the eye.

Simon and the Sheriff appeared at their shoulders and guided them away from the vet,

"We're going home now." Simon instructed steering the girl to the car.

I'll see you tomorrow Stiles. Diana said to the boy with his father, they caught each other's eyes, Diana waved a little and Stiles responded with a goofy grin and a small wave of his own. His father followed his gaze and shook his head exasperated at his only child.


	6. Chapter 6

The School closed for Thursday and Friday due to the investigation and the damage, so Diana used those days to research the binding spell between her and Stiles, but couldn't find anything on it in either her room or the library. That was until she spoke to her grandmother again.

Diana was sat on her bed staring at the wall of bookshelves in front of her.

"You won't find it there." Her mirror said. Diana threw herself back into her pillows with a groan; she had been at this for the past two days.

"Where will I find it then?" She sounded out, met in response with silence. "Exactly, I can't find this at all because it's completely new magic.

"No it isn't dear." A different voice sounded from her mirror, Diana shot up, scrambling to move the lace curtain that was draped over the antique mirror.

In the place her grandmother usually occupied was a much older Witch, she had the same characteristics, the same eyes and body type as Diana, the Preston women were all blessed with a fuller figure than the usual cast of women, not ever fat though, just blessed with certain assets.

"Pardon my ignorance, but, who are you?" Diana said with the cordiality of meeting a new relative. The relative in question was young, scarcely older than herself. The idea that this woman had produced children and died terrified her.

"My name is Agnes Leofric I was born in 1592 and died when I was twenty three. I died at precisely the same moment as my husband Richard. We died together due to a spell that I had learned of through one of the coven, she was of a different family. She explained in her clear English voice.

"Your grandmother Lottie told me of your wish for a gift and I told her how the binding was performed, this is very powerful and ancient magic. The Witch I learnt it off said that it goes back to the very first spells cast." The spectre said. Diana's shoulders fell forward.

"Is there any way to undo it?" Diana said hopeful that she might right this wrong.

"If the cosmos has seen fit to bless you with a union like this then you cannot scorn it by seeking to reverse this magic." Agnes said mildly offended.

"He doesn't love me, he loves my best friend. " Diana explained. Agnes sighed at her young descendent.

"The cosmos and the great Goddess have seen that you and him are to be one, they only work through us darling especially with things like this. I found Richard through a cast for true happiness, that was why were together." Agnes explained, then looked puzzled. "Did you drop the spell intentionally or did it appear and fall of its own accord?" Agnes asked.

"It was in my folder, I must have put it there for safe keeping and it fell out." Diana said, "But you asking that now makes me wonder if I did put it in at all?"

"See my darling, the cosmos works us all together, like one giant tapestry."

Diana nodded in thought; she really couldn't remember putting the papyrus in her folder.

"I will leave you to your musings." Agnes said, curtsied and wandered away into the mirror. Diana pulled the curtain back down over the glass.  
She began to feel a pull, the same pull she had, had after the night at the school.

 _Hello Stiles_.

 _Oh now you talk to me? I've been trying for days, and texting_. He said annoyed,

 _I've been busy_. She excused.

 _Yeah well could busy come over. I need to talk to someone but my dad's not letting me out the house_. Stiles asked, Diana laughed quietly,

 _I'll be round in fifteen_.

Twenty minutes later Diana pulled up to Stiles house and approached the front door, the squad car was gone meaning that his dad was off hunting Derek so Diana parked her black Audi A1 on the drive.

Stiles wrenched the door open before she had fully gotten on the step and practically wrenched her inside.

"I'm freaking out; you need to do that calm thing you did before." He demanded shutting the door.

"Oh hi Diana, I'm sure you're fine after the events of the other night but would you mind helping me out yet again?" Diana sassed back at him. Stiles rolled his eyes at her antics but waved his hand circularly gesturing for her to hurry up.

"I can barely breathe." He detailed, "I feel like I'm goin out of my friggin mind here."

Diana looked at him properly then up and down, his eyes had bags underneath them and he was paler than usual.

"Okay." She soothed, "Let's just go to your room?" She said moving towards the stairs, he followed obediently like a puppy.

She sat him down on his bed and stood before him, thinking back to what Agnes said. The short amount of time she had known him he did seem to get her better than any other guy that she had known, even of the magical kind.

Without thinking she straddled him on the end of his bed.

Stiles froze. What was she doing? He wondered.

 _Erm Diana?_

She leant forward and whispered in his ear, "Breathe Stiles."

He let out a large breath of air and tried to focus on breathing.

"Now tell me what's really wrong." She directed. Stiles nodded rapidly, Diana stopped that by holding his head to look into her eyes. Stiles placed both his hands on the bedding behind him so as to not grab at the girl on him immediately.

"I don't know if Derek's really dead and I don't want my dad to run in to a fight he can't win because then I'm left with nobody." Stiles' eyes widened at the admission.

"Okay." Diana said conclusively and removed herself from his lap.

"Was that magic? Did you just magic that out of me?" Stiles demanded, Diana laughed quietly,

"In a way, yes but also no. It wasn't outright magic; the truth has its own type of magic that doesn't need to be cast." Diana said shrugging. She looked around his room properly the walls were a typical teenage boy neutral grey and covered in posters from different popular culture.

"So you tricked me?"

"Basically yeah." She whipped her gaze back to him causing her hair to fan out catching the light from his lamp making it reminiscent of fire. Stiles thought then that it was truly beautiful.

"Have you heard from Scott?" Diana asked stepping to sit in his desk chair.

"No he seems to be moping from Alison dumping him." Stiles told her flopping back onto his bed.

"Alison dumped him then? Lydia insinuated as much but never outright said it." Stiles' perked up at the magic word,

"Is she ok?"

"She's fine. Or as fine as she can be when she's on anti-anxiety meds that her mother's given her."

Stiles shook his head and lay back down.

"So," Diana swung herself softly from side to side on the movable chair, "I've been looking into the bond." Stiles gave her his full attention again,

"Lemme guess, you can't undo this?" Diana shook her head no. "Just perfect."

"Looks like we will be in each other's heads for the foreseeable future." Diana shrugged.

"This is gonna sound kinda weird, but with everything that's been going on with Scott I kinda like having you in my head. Kinda don't feel so much like Robin anymore."

Diana pouted,

"Robin becomes so great in the Earth 52 series though." She said with conviction. Stiles shot up then looking at her properly.

"You know about that stuff?" He demanded. Diana laughed,

"Yeah Lydia hates it, so I kinda have to keep it to myself." Stiles laughed in incredulity, no way a girl as hot as Diana liked that stuff like he did. "Look, all I'm saying is Robin's not so bad, besides, I always had a crush on Dick Grayson."

"Course you did." Stiles scoffed lying back down on the bed, "Bet you couldn't name the others." He muttered.

Diana smirked, Stiles was looking at the ceiling until suddenly he was looking at Diana above him, a wall of auburn hair falling to his right. She had positioned herself so that if he tried to move he would defiantly touch her.

"There was Dick Grayson, then Jason Todd, then, Tim Drake then Damien Wayne, then Duke Thomas. Would you like me to continue or would you like to besmirch my father's legacy some more?" Diana laughed at his stunned expression.

Stiles was in love, this girl was fantastic.

"I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Stiles?!" It was the Sheriff, by the sound of it he was coming up the stairs. "Stiles there is a car on the drive that I don't rec-" He stopped short when he looked in to his sons room, a girl was positioned over his son.

"Dad!" Stiles exclaimed, his previously idle hands coming up to Diana's twenty five inch waist as he suddenly bolted upright taking Diana up with him.

Unexpectedly she sat right where he really didn't want her to sit because his little teenage boy mind suddenly kicked in.

"I'll leave you two alone."

"Dad! It's not what it looks like." He gently extracted himself from underneath Diana who moved off him at the same time showing the Sherriff her face.

"Diana Preston?" He wondered aloud before waving his hands in denial moving away from his son's bedroom door.

"Wait." Stiles tore into the corridor and caught his dads arm. "It's not like that."

"Like what Stiles? I was your age too once, I know what it's like." He said understandingly.

"Look, we were just talking about the other night. I was freaking out and she thought that would be the best way to distract me."

"Looks like she did a pretty good job of that son, you didn't even hear me come in." Noah laughed. "Honestly, what you do in your own time is your deal, just tell me you're being careful."

"What?" Stiles said confused

"Do you still have that box of condoms that I got you?" He asked bluntly, Stiles started to cough having choked unexpectedly on his own spit in shock. Diana's laughter filled his head.

"Dad. Can you not, but yes I do ok! I do!" He managed to choke out wishing to everything that the ground would swallow him up.

"Okay then." Noah clapped his son on the shoulder and moved off down in to his house.

Stiles slowly made his way back to his room; Diana was lying on the bed her body wracked with silent peals of laughter.

"Oh my god, that was fantastic!" She wheezed.

"Yeah, yeah we could both die of my embarrassment by the way."

"No we couldn't, that's not an actual way to die stupid." Diana said grinning from ear to ear. Stiles stood in front of her but deciding that wouldn't do dragged him down to her level.

"So you still like me in your head?" She asked after a beat. Stiles groaned and buried his face in the grey covers.

Diana burst into laughter again.

Noah could hear the pair from the stairs and smiled to himself, he could remember when he had been like that, an awkward teenage boy totally unable to act around a girl.

Eventually Stiles recovered from his embarrassment and was able to talk to Diana again.

"It kinda feels like a safety net." He admitted. Diana nodded, by now they were both fully on his bed but she was on her side, propped up by her left hand on her neck, next to him on his back.

"Speaking of safety nets." She leant forward and kissed his forehead. Stiles looked round at her,

"What was that for?"

"That just wrote a whole load of protective spells on you. You can now not be hurt by magic, or being shot or stabbed in anger, you will not be a susceptible to disease and can't be killed by fire either." She explained proudly. "I didn't just look for ways to get us out of the bond during the past two days."

Stiles stared up at her in wonder.

"You're amazing, you know that right?" Diana blushed prettily at him.

"Thank you. Everyone else just sees Lydia." She rolled her eyes, "Except Donavan, he's been trying for the past year to get to me. It's so irritating."

Stiles felt an unfamiliar feeling rise to his chest. He frowned; it wasn't something that he could explain.

"Anyway, I should be going, I'm making dinner tonight." She sat up to look for her handbag.

"What are you making?" Stiles asked watching her bend over to retrieve her small blue handbag with and oversized brass buckle on the front.

"Mushroom and spinach risotto, Heather's worried about Simon's cholesterol." She stood; Stiles quickly looked away from her so as to pretend that he wasn't staring at her ass. He wasn't fooling anyone.

Diana smirked, leant over the bed, kissed his forehead and swanned out his bedroom with a,

"Goodbye Stiles."


	7. Chapter 7

Diana was about to go to bed when she heard it. Stiles. A very Drunk Stiles.

 _Dude, you know she's just one girl, out of so many, there's so many other girls in the sea_.

Diana's face lit up. This should be so funny. Giggling she scrambled to collect her scrying kit and quickly cast the right spell to see a very drunk Stiles laid out on the damp ground of Beacon Hills preserve with half a bottle of Jack next to him.

"- in the sea." Scott was with him looking utterly miserable.

"Fish? Whay you talking about fish? I'm talking about girls. I love girls, especially girls with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes, five foot three."

"So, Lydia."

"How did you know I was talking about Lydia?" Stiles giggled. Diana's heart fell slightly. The feeling that the universe had made a mistake was coming back in full force.

"Or Diana." He stifled a burp in the middle of her name, "There's something about her man. I don't get it."

Diana pursed her lips, she shouldn't be watching this, it had stopped being fun now. Instead she pulled out her phone and shot off a couple texts.

[To Stiles, From Diana]

[Please be careful.]

[To Scott, From Diana]

[Is he ok?]

She waited to cease the spell until after they had gotten the messages,

"See, she text me, 'Please be careful' it's like she's always with me. And that's great." Stiles slurred, Diana smiled softly at his reaction. Scott just rolled his eyes and put his phone away.

"I don't trust her." He growled. "She's a Witch and we had no idea. That and she knew Derek Hale."

"Hey!" Stiles protested, "I trust her."

"Of course you do, you have some weird connection going on." Scott grumbled.

Stiles just looked at the stars,

"You know her eyes have flecks of gold in them." He mused, Diana laughed and waved off the spell.

"Be careful what you want to see Diana." She told herself getting into bed.

The next day was the first day back at school. For the rest of the people affected by the incident on Wednesday they got sympathy and understanding. Not Diana. No she got a loudly opened door and her school bag thrown at her by a laughing Heather.

"Education's a gift, go to school." Heather laughed leaving the door half open in the annoying way that adults with teenagers do.

Diana managed to drag herself to school looking as fabulous as she always did in a cropped white peasant top and ripped rolled jeans with a tan leather jacket all tied together with an effective use of a moonstone hexagonal crystal necklace and her tan heeled ankle boots.

"Hey Diana." Donovan appeared next to her at her locker. "Been texting you all weekend." He stated trying to look cool.

Diana barely spared him a glance.

"Have you Donovan, I would have noticed them if I wasn't ignoring you." She smiled at him. He tried to think of a reply, but Diana finally saw an out, Isaac.

"Isaac, wait." She shot off after the taller boy she sat with in Chemistry.

"He- hey Diana." He greeted nervously. She fished in her red leather satchel and pulled out a stack of notes,

"These are the Chemistry notes, the history notes and the econ notes. Now I've simplified them and sectioned them off so that you can make them into flash cards." Diana said happily, she loved Isaac, he was a sweet boy who to Diana's eyes seemed to have something going on at home but she couldn't place it.

"Wow, thanks." He said sincerely, taking the papers from her, "You didn't have to, I didn't even ask you to."

"No, I know. I wanted to, besides you seemed to find the last few tests hard so…" She shrugged.

"Di!" Stiles waved from the end of the corridor, she waved back.

"Let me know if you need anything else Isaac." She said sincerely leaving the lanky boy in the centre of the corridor.

Stiles was taking to Scott while she approached, Scott had a killer look in his eyes.

"You ok there Scott." She whispered knowing that he could hear her. Stiles hit his chest and suddenly the normal Scott was back in the room. He ran off to get to class but Stiles stayed to talk to her.

"Diana, you gotta help us out, the Chemistry test is today and I completely forgot about it." Stiles said desperately.

"You want to copy off me in a test?" She clarified her eyebrows raised.

"Well," Stiles grimaced as only he could. "You are my special soul buddy."

Diana rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She groaned, "But you gotta do something for me."

"Anything, I mean sure." Stiles nodded rapidly. Diana looked about them leaning in closer to make sure nobody was listening.

"Be careful." She kissed his cheek and swanned off to her homeroom for morning register.

"Be careful, okay, yeah, I can do that." He told himself as he moved quickly to his.

The test before her was easy, she didn't even need to cheat with a revealing spell to know the answers. She could see Isaac a few seats over he looked to be struggling.

 _How you doing?_ Diana asked Stiles,

 _Great, I might not need you after all._ He said happily to her.

 _Oh really, what did you put for number seven?_ Diana queried,

 _Ammonia_. Stiles told her confidently.

 _Nugh-ugh its Nitrogen_. Diana answered smugly. Stiles let loose a sea of curses that would make a sailor blush.

After that they answered every question together. That is until Scott freaked out and ran off and Stiles ran off after him.

Diana sighed slumping back in her seat.

 _Don't worry, I've got this_. She sassed at him.

 _Thank you!_ Stiles responded. _You're a fantastic person._

 _Yeah I know._ Diana blushed casting a quiet spell over Stiles paper to imitate her answers.

 _I found him. Panic attack. I used to get them after my mom died, made him think it was an asthma attack and the inhaler stopped it._ Stiles explained five minutes of silence later. 

_Oh those suck, I used to get them too._ Diana said in sympathy.

 _After your parents?_

 _Yeah_. She confirmed. _Was it about Alison again?_

 _When is it not? I don't think the full moon helps._

 _Yeah, that's gotta be a raw deal. Diana grimaced._

 _Yeah imma lock him up in his room later tonight to stop him going awol on the entire town._

 _That's a good idea._ Diana agreed sagely.

Diana went about the rest of her day without too much supernatural interruption. Classes and lunch where she sat with her usual crowd consisting of Lydia, Alison and Jackson, who for some reason was constantly cooing over Alison.

[To Diana From Heather]

[You are not going out tonight, please come straight home from school.]

"Hey Stiles, you and Scott are going to have to do without me tonight. Just got my orders from Heather, I'm on temporary house arrest." She told the boy sat across from her in Econ that afternoon. Disappointment crossed his face,

"That's okay. I get it." He said a little sadly, "We have Lacrosse after school anyway so; I wouldn't have seen you anyway."

"I could probably hang round for Lacrosse for a little while, I mean Heather knows what Lydia's like." Diana smiled encouragingly. Stiles perked up at his new friend staying for practice. "Besides, moonrise isn't until eleven anyway."

"It's in your self-interest anyway, you know, my safety and all that." Stiles pouted nodding knowingly, Diana grinned,

"Exactly."

"Alright shut up!" Coach Finstock bellowed calling the class to attention effectively ending all conversation.

[To Heather, From Diana]

[Lydia is making me stay for Lacrosse; I'll be home way before moonrise.]

[To Diana, From Heather]

[Better be kid.]

 _I made first line!_ Stiles said excitedly to Diana. She beamed at her phone.

 _That's fantastic!_ She congratulated her partner. She could feel him buzzing down their connection and nearly laughed.

She couldn't find Lydia anywhere so she headed straight out to the stands spying a couple of her other friends and sat with them on the front few rows of the bleachers.

"Hey Preston." Donovan called jogging over. Diana rolled her eyes, the arrogant blonde was still trying to get with her and it was becoming an irritation. The only other guy she had been interested in having a relationship with was a Freeze called Logan Swan, the son of a woman in her Aunts Coven. Looking at normal boys after that had been a severe disappointment. Donovan was an even bigger let down.

"Hello Donovan." Diana drawled yawning. He stopped just short of the benches and she had never been happier with her decision to sit a little further up.

"You going to cheer me on?" He smirked confidently. She had to vehemently resist the urge to roll her eyes again, instead choosing to smile patronisingly at the boy.

"No. I'm here for Stilinski." She deadpanned.

"Good one. See you after, yeah?" He directed looking back to Coach who was waving his players in.

"No." Diana said as he ran away to join the rest of his team.

"Diana? Did I just see Donavan flirting with you?" Mia gossiped the bottle blonde as she moved from the other row to sit next to Diana. The Witch was now beginning to wonder why she didn't follow her Aunt's direction and go straight home.

"If that's what that was then yes." Diana said bored with the conversation already. At least when she talked to Lydia like this they both knew there was some form of intelligence behind each other's eyes. Mia however was just looking to stir the pot.

The Practice started and Diana had to sit through Mia's commentary on which seniors are the hottest and which of the Lacrosse team she thought she had a chance with, all the while Diana watched what was effectively another generic practice.

She grimaced when Scott got slammed. Her eyes widened when he crab flipped himself back to his feet, stopped Stiles from taking his turn in attacking practice and preceded to slam flip the defenders downing Danny.

"Danny!" Diana cried in panic running from the bleachers to the field where a crowd had gathered round the downed body of the goalie.

"Out of the way please." Diana heard Heather say pushing through the crowd of teenagers. She was still in her Paramedics coat so people parted quickly.

"He gonna be ok?" Lydia asked from Diana's right squeezing herself between Diana and Jackson.  
Heather was shining a light into Danny's eyes.

"How many fingers am I holding up Danny?" Heather demanded raising one finger.

"One?" The bloodied boy answered. Heather smiled,

"You're just a little bloody. No harm done." She confirmed to the boy, Coach looked as happy as if someone had just told them they'd won state without trying.

Jackson looked at Lydia properly then,

"What?" She asked at his confused look.

"Your lipstick." Lydia pulled out a compact mirror from her bag,

"Oh." She laughed "Wonder how that happened?" she said fixing it, Diana frowned.

"Yeah." Jackson said sceptically, "I wonder." They shared a tense look like all was not well in paradise while Diana crouched next to her Aunt and Danny completely missing the look of realisation on Stiles' face.

"Good thing that I came to get you." Heather said to her niece, and sole heir to the Preston legacy.

"Was Si really that worried?" Diana said deadpan, she knew exactly why Heather had come to get her. Heather grimaced, helping Danny to his feet gently.

"Well, yeah. But I thought it would be nice for you and me to have a catch up. It is your Birthday soon."

Danny looked at Diana shocked,

"It's your birthday?" Diana made a 'seriously' face to her now guilty looking Aunt before replying,

"No it's not. Forget about it." He wouldn't but Diana made him swear not to say anything to anyone else, February seventeenth was not something that she typically shouted about.

Coach made Danny sit on the bench for the rest of the practice just to be safe that they didn't properly damage the boy. Diana returned to her seat in the bleachers but now with her Aunt in tow.

Mia grinned at the pair as they sat down; Diana had to resist the urge to roll her eyes again.

"I hope Danny is ok. He's my History partner; I can't do another project on my own again." Mia said worriedly. Heather looked at Diana concerned but for another reason, opened her mouth to admonish the girl but halted when Diana caught her hand shaking her head.

Fifteen minutes later and both Witches were cold and bored,

"Let's go home." Heather decided much to Diana's relief,

"Oh thank god." She breathed; putting up with Mia was getting to be a herculean effort.

Heather laughed and followed her charge off the frigid seats.

 _I'm going home now. Good luck tonight_. Diana said to Stiles with a little wave, they were still doing drills and she wasn't shouting across the field announcing to Donovan that she was leaving. The idiot might turn up to her house or something.

Stiles waved to her as did Donovan who started to laugh at Stiles.

"You think she was waving to you Stilinski, as if." Donovan laughed. Stiles bristled, Scott had already kissed Lydia but nobody could take Diana away from him.

"Yeah I do, she's my English partner dumbass." He shot back feeling bigger than he was. Donovan scoffed and pushed past him to take the next drill spot that would have been Stiles'.

Diana sat on the large red leather sofa in the smaller family living room, the church candles in the fireplace lit and burning happily casting a soft glow over the room in contrast to the brighter glow from the TV. Love Actually was playing away to an absent minded teen and an asleep thirty two year old Witch.

 _I wonder how the moon thing is going with Scott and Stiles_. Diana thought to herself staring at Colin arrive in America in the film. _Should I check in?_ A wave of anxiety came over her that she hadn't felt since she first moved to the States. _What if that's too much? Like I don't trust him._

 _You don't trust him._ A little voice in her head said casting derision on the situation and playing up her concerns.

Diana sighed looking back to her Aunt's slack jawed expression. _Screw it, she thought_. Simon was at a dinner with the Governor of the state so it was just the two Witches in the large eight bed house. On the full moon. Because that was _such_ a good idea.

 _How's it going?_ She tentatively sent out.

 _I've cuffed him to his radiator_. He responded immediately.

 _You don't sound too happy about that_. Diana frowned.

 _He's just saying a bunch of stuff_. Stiles said testily, _I'll see you tomorrow_. He shut off before Diana could say anything. Suspicious she crept slowly past her Aunt and to the library next door. A quick scrying spell later and she really saw what was going on.

Stiles was slumped outside Scott's room,

"She would have done anything I wanted, ANYTHING.!" He roared, Stiles slid down the wall to the floor and sat. His knees high, head in hands.

"I bet if I went for Diana she'd kiss me too, her and Lydia are so close, so alike in many ways. Why wouldn't she?" Scott drawled tauntingly.

Diana's mouth fell open, Lydia and Scott? Trouble was definitely in Lydia and Jackson's paradise.

Stiles looked close to tears.

"Diana's smell too," Scott groaned, "The magic drips from her. Why would she bother with a human like you? So breakable, so slow." He smirked, "I bet she's tight too, she looks it. Untouched." Stiles began to shake with rage but Scott continued. "Soft, pliable, I bet she'd do anything I wanted too. Maybe I should go find her she'd be gagging for it."

"That's enough." Diana spat pulling her phone from her back pocket and dialling Stiles.

"That'll be her now, calling to ask about _me_."

He pulled it out and held it before him as it rang through. His face the antithesis of pain.  
Diana balked. _Why isn't he picking up?_

"It's her isn't it? Answer it Stiles, ask her, she'll be asking about me anyway." Scott taunted some more.

Diana called again. She could see Stiles considering the idea, fighting within himself. Eventually he picked up.

"Diana, not a good time." He greeted feeling Scott's mocking eyes on him.

"Yeah I know, thought you could use someone else to talk to other than some dick Were." Stiles let out a breath.

"You're on my side forever right?" He said calming. Diana smiled at Scott's responding growl.

"Always and forever buddy." She promised. "You seemed to really need me to say that, is everything really okay? I can come and dog sit with you if you need, my Aunt's passed out." Diana offered.

"No!" Stiles shot back immediately panic colouring his tone.

"Okay." Diana said backing off "It was only an offer. If you've got this then I trust you."

"Thanks but it's okay." Stiles assured nodding to himself. Diana smiled,

"Here if you need me, you _are_ technically my other half." She laughed. Stiles scoffed a laugh grinning slightly,

"See you Di." He hung up and shot Scott a shit eating grin getting a growl in response.

Diana waved off the spell and stood, it was half past eleven. She stifled a yawn, time for bed. She wandered back into the family room, shook her Aunt awake, turned off the TV and bidding the elder Witch goodnight wandered off to her room.

Diana started to pack her bag while brushing her teeth when she noticed the lace curtain covering the enchanted mirror twitch the signal that someone from the other side was wanting to talk.  
Diana pulled back the lace expecting to see her Grandmother wanting the lowdown from her day, instead she found Agnes.

The young woman smiled warmly at her,

"How are you?" She greeted Diana who looked a picture, her hair in a messy bun, lips ringed with toothpaste foam and the brush sticking out of her mouth, in nothing but her pyjamas; an ancient black Pink Floyd top and faded Micky Mouse shorts.

"I'm good." Diana responded dumbly pulling the brush from her mouth.

"Good, and your husband?" Agnes asked. The thing with hundreds of years old ghostly relatives was that they often failed to grasp the customs of the modern era.

"I am not married." Diana reminded her ancestor.

Agnes blushed,

"I meant your bonded." She said her smile faltering slightly. "Forgive me."

Diana folded back the curtain properly and pulled out her desk stool,

"I know who you meant." Diana smiled back, Agnes beamed in response.

"There isn't that many of my age in the Hall, forgive me, I wanted to speak to another who wasn't over thirty." She laughed slightly. Diana chuckled in solidarity. "Or my bonded."

That got Diana's attention.

"Your bonded is with you?" She pressed confused normally only family went to their afterlife. That would mean...

Agnes nodded,

"They join our Hall when the two souls…" Agnes blushed crimson, "'Meet' for the first time."

"Wait, are you talking about sex?" Diana demanded, Agnes nodded. "So he wasn't related to you, us?" Agnes looked sickened and shook her head rapidly.

"If I have sex with Stiles he joins our afterlife?" Agnes nodded again, Diana leant back her mind processing the information she had been given.

"Has he realised that he loves you yet?" Agnes asked leaning forward like any other young woman would asking her friend about a crush. Diana smiled at the image, humanity really hadn't changed even dressed in typical early seventeenth century dress, corsets, skirts and all, she was still just a young woman.

"No Agnes,"

"Call me Nessie." She directed with a smile, Diana smiled in return,

"No Nessie, he hasn't. To be fair to him though, he is dealing with his friend being a newly bitten Werewolf and tonight is the full moon." Diana shrugged. Agnes nodded understandingly,

"And you? Do you think you love him yet?"

Diana considered her white and green toothbrush intently for a long moment,

"Not yet, but I am fond of him."

Agnes looked around the Witch's room and sighed.

"That's a start." She shrugged, "Good night darling."

Diana mumbled goodnight back and redropped the curtain resuming her previous activities with a heaviness that only deep thought can bring.

That night she slept deeply fully of confusing dreams and visions. Mr Harris talking to a beast with Red eyes. Derek, alive.

She awoke with a gasp. He didn't die.


	8. Chapter 8

"Faster!" Stiles urged Scott, Diana looking behind them out the back window of Derek's car.

"She's practically in the boot Scott, step on it!" Diana urged, the car had been following for a while at quite a speed; Diana was beginning to really hate the driver.

"I don't think you're grasping the concept of a car chase here." Stiles said shakily looking behind them,

"If I go any fast I'll kill us!" Scott protested, Diana leant forward between the seats,

"If you don't go any faster they'll kill us, they'll burn me and chop you in half." Diana snapped.

Scott changed the gear and sped up, Stiles looked round again.

"They're gone." He pointed out mystified. Diana reached forward and flicked on Stile's police radio in his hand.

"All units be advised, suspect is on foot moving towards the iron works." The grainy voice said through the radio. Diana flopped back into her seat.

"To the iron works." She jokingly commanded.

Scott changed direction now heading for the different part of town.

Spotting Derek crouched and taking fire from a hunter they screeched to a stop. Stiles threw open the door,

"Get in!" He directed throwing himself into the back over Diana, he landed in a bundle of limbs, Diana swiftly pushed him off her into the adjoined seat.

Derek launched himself inside and Scott shot off.

"What part of laying low don't you understand?" Scott demanded angrily. Derek looked none too happy himself,

"Damn it I had him!" He shouted back.

"Who the Alpha?" Stiles asked leaning between the two seats.

"YES!" Derek barked, "He was right in front of me then the friggin police showed up."

"Whoa, I'm sure they were just doing their jobs." Stiles tried to reason.

Diana pulled him back into his seat,

"They wouldn't have to be if you and Scott hadn't made him the most wanted man in the state." She snapped. Derek shot round at her voice.

"You brought Di _again_?!" He barked,

"Stiles comes, she comes. And can we seriously get past that?!" Scott shouted back, "I made a dumbass mistake, I get it."

"Alright." Stiles sounded waving his hands and leaning between the seats again, "How did you find him?" Derek looked at Diana shaking his head, angrily returning his gaze to the road.

"Could you try to trust us for one second?" Scott demanded. Derek twitched his jaw,

"Her I trust, you guys, not so much." Diana smirked; Stiles caught her eye and raised his eyebrows,

 _Seriously?_

"Try trusting all of us." Stiles told Derek. He looked at the short haired boy with a look of hatred that Stiles amended, "Or just him. I'll be back here." He retook his seat next to Diana who was still smirking.

"The last time I talked to my sister she was close to figuring something out, she found two things, first was a guy named Harris."

"Our Chemistry teacher?" Diana blurted sharing an equally confused look with Stiles,

"Why him?" Scott asked.

"I don't know yet." Derek excused, Diana could see him getting the same exasperated face he wore when she used to trick him into letting her stay up for another half an hour after the previous three,

"What's the second?" Stiles asked, Derek reached into his back pocket and unfolded a piece of paper with a pencil drawing on it. Some kind of crest.

Scott sighed when he saw what it was.

"That's the symbol on Alison's necklace." He groaned. Diana clapped his right shoulder,

"Welp, looks like you're talking to Alison."

"Why can't you talk to her? It would make more sense if a girl asked for a necklace than her Ex-boyfriend." Stiles said pulling a face, Diana rolled her eyes,

"I'm not going anywhere near that girl." She flatly refused. Scott caught her eye in the rear view mirror,

"Why not? I know you hate her, don't know why you hate her, but please?"

Diana shook her head at his puppy eyes.

"No." She insisted.

"This is going to be impossible you know."

"Why? Just ask if you can borrow it." Stiles said entering the school doors behind his friend. "It's easy just say 'Hey Alison can I borrow your necklace? See if there's anything on it, or in it, that can lead me to an Alpha werewolf that I need to kill in order to be with you.'"

"Not helping." Scott snapped.

"Why don't you just talk to her?" Stiles said pointing out the obvious. Scott groaned,

"I wouldn't have to if Diana would just help us." Stiles shook his head,

"I'm sure Di has her reasons." He defended.

"She won't talk to me." Scott insisted,

"If we make Di do this then she won't talk to _me_." Stiles said gesturing wildly, "Like ever, ever again."

"What if she like only takes it off in the shower or something." Scott reasoned dejectedly,

"That's why you ease back into it okay? Get back on her good side, remind her of the good times and then you ask for the necklace." Stiles lightly hit Scott's shoulder. Scott stared off into space for a moment, Stiles hit him again,

"You're thinking about her in the shower aren't you?"

"Yeah." Scott admitted guiltily,

"Alright." Stiles said grasping Scott's shoulder, "Stay focused, get the necklace, get the alpha, get cured, get Alison back." He backed off, "In that order got it?" He spotted Diana at her locker moving away to go and talk to her.

Stiles leant against the locker next to Diana's,

"Gooood morning." He greeted with a dorky smile. Diana looked particularly attractive today, her tight high waisted blue jeans and tan heeled boots emphasising her lower assets while her fire coloured locks covered her shoulders and back over a partially obscured plain white scoop neck t-shirt. As usual she had her moonstone necklace on, only this time the silver chain she had it on hung to just below her breasts.

"Hello." She smiled at him, "So, now I can honestly say I've been in a car chase. Why do I get the feeling that life with you in it will never be boring for long?" She asked cheekily. Stiles smirked stupidly,

"Because it won't." He said in his best imitation of Shaun Connery. Diana giggled at his antics only making his dopey grin grow wider.

"I didn't know you did charity work Diana, what you talking to Stilinski for?" Danny mocked lightly opening the locker two away from hers on her right. She smirked back at him,

"Oh Danny dear, you know how I just _love_ people." Danny frowned still grinning,

"You hate people though." Diana laughed in reply glancing back at Stiles, his face no longer bore his previous grin but he was instead looking at Diana's shoes. Danny shut his locker and left for class.

"I hate stupid people." She clarified closing her own locker. Stiles nodded, she caught his eye,

"You're not stupid." He nodded again; Diana blew out her lips, "Now Mia, Mia's stupid, and Greenburg. My god they're annoying." That brought his grin back.

"Like majorly annoying. You know Mia once asked me what Batman was. Like he's Batman." She shrugged emphatically. They moved towards their next class together.

Diana took her usual seat in History as the class began to fill up, the seats around her already filled.

"You need to move. Now." Lydia stood in front of Mia who had taken the seat next to Diana. Knowing when it was best not to put up a fight she swiftly picked up her things and moved without comment.

"Lydia that's not nice." Diana mockingly admonished. Lydia just rolled her eyes,

"Like you wanted to sit next to her anyway. Miss What-does-Pythagoras-have-to-do-with-Math?" Lydia mocked in a high pitched voice. Diana laughed at her friend's impression.

"So what's with the sudden relocation?" Diana asked leaning towards the other red head. Lydia pouted,

"I miss you."

Diana pulled a not buying it face.

"No really, you've been so busy lately I feel like I've not seen you, and then if I do you're with that spazzy boy and won't talk to Alison." Lydia explained earnestly. She gasped,

"You don't like Scott do you?!" Lydia demanded.

"Eww." Diana replied her face the picture of disgust, "No, it's not that. I just don't like her. Something about her." Diana shrugged, not technically a lie, it was something about her that Diana didn't like; her family.

"Okay well, we are going shopping tonight, then we are going to the game together." Lydia directed. Diana cocked her head at her friend, Lydia was only like this when something was going wrong with her and considering the effort that she put into the pink dress, thick belt and perfect make up something was wrong with Jackson.

Diana nodded catching Lydia's eye.

"Sure, I can get behind that." Lydia flicked her hair,

"Good, I knew I could count on you."

Diana seemed to be the only one at lunch who noticed that Jackson was staring pretty intently over to Scott and Stiles' table. She frowned opening her mouth to call him out on it when Stiles' voice entered her head while her phone pinged.

 _We need you to get the necklace_. Both messages said.

Diana followed Jackson's gaze and raised her eyebrows at the boys.

"What did she say?" Scott asked desperately.

"You do _not_ want to know. That girl could make a sailor blush." Stiles shook his head.

Diana watched as Jackson spoke to Scott over the busy lunch room, she also saw Scott freak out and pretend that he couldn't while pretending to talk to Stiles.

 _You both look really dumb right now you know that right?_ She laughed,

 _Not helping_. Stiles snapped.

Jackson suddenly got up and walked off. Diana shook her head and re-entered the conversation with Lydia and Alison, joking around about the latest goof that a teacher made.

Suddenly a loud crack filled the air silencing the room. All heads snapped round to where the sound had come from, Scott. He had a broken tray before him.

 _What the fuck?_

 _I think it was Jackson._ Stiles supplied mystified at his best friends actions.

Diana just shook her head at the absurd situation.

"So what else can you do?" Stiles asked quietly. They were both in the library sharing a study period together.

"I can cast loads of spells, make you big, make you small, call objects to my hand, and change their colours." She detailed happily, his enthusiasm was infectious, "With anything of a human though it either needs to be concentrated in a symbol like the one you picked up or through words, like the calming thing I did on you."

Stiles nodded along his eyes wide like a little child's. Diana grinned at him.

"So this bond thing, you find anything else out about it?"

"Funnily enough, yes." Diana said looking back to her world history text book. Stiles looked at her to carry on, eventually gesturing as well.

"So?" He demanded in a whisper, "What else did you find out?" Diana blushed. He knew it was something then because Diana never blushed and he was suddenly struck by how pretty she looked with one.

"Well, I found out that if we sleep together, you enter my afterlife, my family's afterlife." She said carefully. Stiles' looked confused so she explained further.

"There are lots of different families of what we are, but all are descended from the first coven which was formed roughly thirty seven thousand years ago. Now each one have what we call a Hall. They follow the maternal line and when I die I enter the Preston Hall, which already contains fifteen hundred deceased members of my family."

"So when _we_ die?" Stiles gestured to the two of them,

"If we have had sex then yes you enter the Hall too, if not then you go where people of your faith go. I don't know where." Diana shrugged, Stiles leaned further forward over the table.

"How do you know this?"

"I have a large enchanted mirror in my bedroom covered in a lace curtain that acts as a window to the hall." She blurted. This was so freeing. To be able to talk to a boy who wasn't of their kind and who didn't freak out and run at the explanation.

"You have a mirror that shows you the afterlife?" Stiles hissed. Diana nodded rapidly. Stiles raised his eyebrows. Diana's heart skipped a beat. _Please don't freak out or run_. She thought to herself desperately.

He breathed a deep breath. Leant back and his face split into the biggest grin she had ever seen. Relief pulsed through her veins.

"You're not freaking out." She confirmed. Stiles shook his head and her tentative smile fell a bit,

"Oh I'm freaking out; I just think this is really cool." Stiles said to which Diana laughed.

"Diana!" Lydia squealed marching into the library. Diana looked round at her best friend her face quickly contorting from happiness into concern, she shot up to meet her.

"What's the matter?" Diana asked catching the smaller girls arm. Lydia thrust her phone below Diana's nose.

[To Lydia From Jackson]

[Lydia. Please return my spare house key at your earliest convenience as we are no longer dating.]

"What the shit?" Diana exclaimed loudly. A chorus of shush's followed.

"Oh shush yourselves." Diana snapped round at the room.

"He called me dead weight." Lydia said shakily. Diana nodded pulling in her lower lip. Stiles watched as Diana before his eyes turned stoic. Realising that this was not a moment for him to intrude on he packed up his books.

"I'll see you later Diana." He said inching past the girls. Lydia was still looking unbelievingly at her phone.

Diana smiled thank you at the boy.

 _You really are the best Stiles_. She said, Stiles blushed and nodded modestly.

"Here is what we are going to do. I have an empty house and a _lot_ of new products as well as several new clothes. We are going to sack off the rest of school and we will come back for the Lacrosse game looking like total fire okay?" Diana informed. Lydia nodded absently. Diana quickly collected the rest of her things and steered the emotional girl into the corridor.

"You caught a ride with Jackass this morning didn't you?" Diana asked, Lydia nodded again. "Okay, this is good, I'll take us back. There is no car to leave at school if you didn't drive to school."

Lydia didn't speak for the entire journey home, it was only when they closed Diana's front door that she screeched.

"How could he do this to me?!"

Diana winced at the pitch but nodded supportively.

"How dare he?!" Lydia said quieter this time but still high. She let slip the building tears then from her green eyes.

Diana dived forward collecting the smaller girl into her arms stoking her hair as Lydia stained her white shirt.

"He's a pig. Don't worry about it."

"But he was my pig." Lydia cried pulling out of Diana's arms. Her eyes were puffy and her mouth turned down, this wasn't Lydia's usual controlled crying this was full on ugly crying. The type a girl will only let a true friend or family member see, where she's really, really upset.

 _Everything ok?_ Stiles asked.

 _Not the best time honey._ Diana answered shutting the conversation down guiding Lydia to the stairs and up to her room. Lydia used to come over all the time before Alison so she was aware that the room was a little pagan paradise looking.

"I just don't get it." Lydia stopped just in the doorway to the bedroom. Realisation blooming in her eyes, she gasped.

"Alison. It was Alison that he wants; it explains why he's so nice to her all the time, why he's always with her." Lydia took a step back into the room her chin quivering. "Is that why you don't like her?"

"No Lydia, I don't like her, because I think it was a branch of her family that murdered my parents." Diana said soothingly walking round the little read head to sit on her bed. "And she was a little too chummy with your boyfriend."

Lydia marched over to the brass bedstead and launched herself to sit in the middle before promptly breaking down crying.

Diana listened to Lydia recount for over an hour about how great she and Jackson were together, nodding and making sympathetic sounds when needed.

Then for the next two hours Diana distracted Lydia with new cosmetics and clothes all while reminiscing about when they met and sleepovers and adventures that they had had when they were younger.

"Okay, so, you look hot." Diana announced circling Lydia who was in a new dress and had totally redone make up.

"Not like I've been crying?" Diana shook her head,

"Ice queen; heartbreaker. Not dumpee." Diana nodded proud of herself and her friend.

Lydia let out a breath and squared her shoulders. Then directed her gaze at her best friend.

"What's going on with you and that weird boy?" Lydia demanded reaching for her handbag, she pulled out her phone showing it to Diana who was currently wielding a mascara wand.  
Diana pursed her perfectly bowed lips. ' _Fifteen missed calls from Alison_.'

"At the moment, he is totally in love with you." Diana said with a smile and a shrug. She had changed her shirt to a patterned peasant top.

"Oh please, he loves every inch of your overly developed ass." Lydia shot back texting Alison that she was ok. She didn't trust herself enough to call.

"Overly developed?" Diana shot back teasingly. Lydia raised her eyebrows at the other girl,

"Overly developed, I've told you before you're too tall to be attractive." Diana smirked,

"And I've told you before, I'm perfect, you're the short arse." Lydia made a shocked noise, "And there's the stilted emotional response I love you for, you remind me of home."

Lydia rolled her eyes,

"You have underdeveloped emotions. I'm assuming like always it's a British thing?"

"In which you would be correct." Diana smirked. It truly was the reason that she and Lydia were such good friends, Lydia trusted Diana to catch her and support her and Diana trusted Lydia to not demand overly emotional displays.

"We should go, the game will be starting soon." Lydia said. "Where are your Aunt and Uncle?

"Heather's working until eight and Uncle Si is meeting us there." Diana smiled brightly collecting her bag ushering Lydia out of her bedroom.

"I'm really glad we got to do this Di." Lydia said in Diana's Audi, "Not the whole getting dumped thing but, you know what I mean."

"I do, and I am too. I've missed you." Diana replied, Lydia looked at her sister shocked,

"Was that? No." Lydia smiled, "Was that a sincere emotional admission? Who are you and what have you done with my Diana?"

Diana laughed,

"Oh please, you know I've missed you. All five feet of you."

"Hey! I'm five three!" Lydia protested.

"Oh I know, I've not missed your feet though." Diana laughed; Lydia lifted her feet to the dash. Diana mockingly mimed being sick making Lydia laugh fully like they did when they messed around as kids.

Their good mood lasted until Lydia spotted Jackson on the field. Then Lydia went deathly quiet and gripped Diana's hand. Diana squeezed it back in response scanning the field for Stiles.

 _Where are you?_ Diana asked when she didn't see him.

 _Currently sat in a friggin car with Derek still trying to figure out this friggin necklace._ He snapped back.

 _It's your first game though_. Diana lamented as Lydia and she took their seats in the bleachers.

 _I know. Now I'll never get off the bench._ Stiles said the disappointment dripping through the bond.

 _Hang on Derek's with you?_ Diana queried,

 _Yeah he just slammed my head into my wheel._ Stiles said. Diana's eyebrows shot up,

 _He what!?_ Her anger must have been felt down the bod because he quickly assured her.

 _It was justified, I needed help from Danny to find where the text from Alison's phone the night at the school came from_.

 _Wait where are you?_ Diana looked for Scott.

 _I'm at the hospital._ Stiles said, _With Derek_.

Diana pulled out her phone,

[To Derek, From Diana]

[He dies, I die and I can haunt your arse.]

[To Diana, From Derek]

[I KNOW.]

Lydia watched Jackson as he stretched and warmed up with sad eyes.

Diana reached over and gripped her hand tightly, silently giving the support that the girl needed. Lydia never asked for help but Diana always knew and gave it anyway.

 _I may die_. Stiles said. Diana froze. _I'm sorry_.

 _What's happening?_

 _Peter Hale is the Alpha_. Stiles said.

 _Peter Hale is my Godfather!_ Diana shot back.

 _I'm not gonna die. Derek's shown up_. Stiles said quickly. Diana let out a breath; Lydia looked at her then in confusion.

"You okay?" She asked, Diana smiled and nodded quickly,

"It's just cold." She said, Lydia didn't look like she totally believed her but she let it slide.

 _What's going on now?_ Diana asked the whistle for the start of the game going.

 _Werewolf fight_.

 _Stiles! Get out of there!_ Diana implored.

 _I'm trying!_ Stiles shot back.

 _Your Dad's here. D'you want me to talk to him?_ Diana asked softly. Stiles didn't reply for a long moment.

 _Yeah. Could you…_

 _I'll think of something. Don't worry._ Diana looked back to Lydia,

"I just need a word with the Sheriff, Derek used to be my babysitter." Lydia paled but nodded, letting go of Diana so she could go to the man.

"Sherriff." Diana greeted appearing at his elbow.

"Hello, you're my sons friend right? Diana?" He smiled. Diana smiled back and nodded.

"Stiles text me, he's having trouble with Jeep. He said he could be a bit late." She said.

 _Jeep problems._ She shot off quickly to Stiles so he could corroborate the story.

 _You're a beautiful person Di_.

Lydia screamed jumping up and down with Diana both of them hugging one another. They had won!

 _Where are you? You ok? We won by the way_. Diana told Stiles happily as her and Lydia filed off the field towards the car park.

 _That's great. I'm on my way from the hospital, Peter has Derek and is coming for Scott._

 _Bolocks._ Diana swore. _I've got a Lydia to look after though, I'll drop her off then meet you later? That ok?_

 _That's perfect_. 

"Hey Lyd, is it ok if I drop you off and scoot, Stiles dad asked me to swing by write some things down." Diana said to Lydia as they pulled out of the car park.

"That's fine." She said with a forced smile. "Thank you for this afternoon."

Diana shrugged,

"Any time."

Thirty five minutes later she had dropped Lydia off and was back at the school. Pulling up next to Stiles just getting out of his Jeep.

"Oh you have no idea how glad I am that you're here." He said relief colouring his voice and face,

"We gotta warn Scott." Diana said hurrying towards the doors.

Inside was pitch black but they both moved within a calculated manner that only comes with spending the majority of ones time in a space.

Stiles began to run and Diana quickly followed suit not wanting the lanky boy to leave her sight.

They burst into the boys changing rooms,

"D-dude, we have a huge problem." Stiles blurted upon sight of Scott, Diana slowed considerably past the door, Stiles was still in sight but the conditioning of the boy's locker room being a taboo place for her gender was still a large actor upon her.

"I know." Scott said. "Trust me, I know."


	9. Chapter 9

"We need your help. We think the Argents could be onto Jackson." Scott said as Diana opened her from door.

"Yeah you got a spell or something that could help us out?" Stiles said from here he stood behind Scott. Diana nodded considering it.

"Come on. It's important." Scott said impatiently. Diana nodded again still considering.

"They won't find out what you are, or anything about your Coven." Stiles insisted. Diana's gaze snapped to him then.

"Not one single thing." She said, Stiles nodded vehemently. Diana left them standing before an open door looking at each other wondering what they were supposed to do. After about a minute she reappeared with a compass in hand and a pair of shoes on.

"Well let's go." She said to the gobsmacked boys.

Stiles beamed,

"Yes! You brilliant woman." He darted back off down the driveway to the blue jeep quickly followed by Scott and Diana.

Diana clambered into the back and leaning between the seats directed them while Stiles drove at speed.

"Next left." Diana directed Stiles pulling in to the abandoned courtyard stopping by Jackson's car with a screech.

Jackson and Mr Argent both looked up at the sudden interruption.

"Sup?" Stiles called across, Diana's brain still rattling from the sudden stop.

"Everything okay?" Scott queried,

"Hey Scott." Mr Argent called looking from between Diana and the boys. Diana leant forward and semi draped her arm over Stiles shoulder,

"You having car trouble Jackass?" She called. Mr Argent nodded,

"Yeah, we were just taking a look." He said, Jackson looked at the group desperately,

"There's a shop just down the street, I'm sure they have a tow truck." Scott said,

"Yeah, you wanna ride?" Stiles offered, acting light and breezy, innocent. Scott opened the door in invitation.

"You know what they were like last time you tried to fix it yourself Jackass." Diana called.

"C'mon Jackson, you're way too pretty to be out here all by yourself." Stiles mocked, while Scott looked darkly at the boy.

Jackson nodded and quickly walked over to the Jeep. Diana watched carefully as the hunter reached in to the back of the Porsche and removed something.

"Hey boys." He called reaching into the car turning it over, suddenly bringing the engine to life. "Told you I knew a few things about cars." With that he got back in his car and drove away leaving the small foursome stunned at the lucky escape that they just had.

When he was out of sight Diana and Stiles got out the car,

"What are you following me now?" Jackson demanded. Diana rolled her eyes,

"Yes you stupid idiot you almost gave away everything right there!" Scott shouted, Diana dropped the small compass back inside the Jeep.

"What are you talking about?!" Jackson demanded.

"He thinks you're the second beta." Scott shot back.

"What?" Jackson said confused, he looked at Diana, "You know what he's talking about?"

Diana toed the ground with her Chelsea boot.

"Yeah I do." She said looking to him then.

"He thinks you're me!" Scott exploded striking the Jeep.

"Dude, my Jeep." Stiles protested weekly, Diana smirked at him,

"I could always fix it if he breaks it." She shrugged; Stiles looked at her flatly,

"Not the point, but thank you." He said grudgingly.

"I can hear your heart beating from a mile away, literally, now he thinks that there's something wrong and now I have to keep an eye on you so he doesn't kill you!" Scott went to strike the Jeep again, Stiles and Diana sprang into action pulling him back,

"Oh okay, okay, okay." Stiles said "How about we just step away from Stiles' Jeep."

"No this is your problem not mine, okay? I didn't say anything which means you're the one that's gonna get _me_ killed. Okay this is your fault!" Jackson said pushing Scott forcefully back into the Jeep.

"Okay can we stop hitting my Jeep?" Stiles asked throwing his hands in the air, Diana backing him by nodding from where she leant against the back over the wheel.

Scott shoved Jackson back. Diana watched Stiles intervene.

"Okay guys stop." He eased them off, "Alright?" Diana gently pulled him away,

"He may come after you; I won't be able to protect you." Scott insisted. He looked to Stiles and Diana, "I can't protect anyone."

"Why're you looking at me?" Stiles asked worriedly, he looked back at Diana who winked in reply.

 _I can protect you_. She assured.

"You know, now you have to do it." Jackson said, "Get me what I want and I will be fine protecting myself."

"No you won't." Scott insisted, "Just trust me! All it does is make things worse. "

"Oh year really?" Jackson said not believing a word, "You can hear anything you want, run faster than humanly possible, sounds like a real hardship McCall."

"Yeah, I can run really fast now, except half the time I'm running away from people who are trying to kill me!" Jackson rolled his eyes. "And I can hear things like my girlfriend telling people she doesn't trust me anymore right before breaking up with me. I'm not lying to you!"

"He isn't going to listen to a thing you say Scott. He's got his 'I know better than you face on.'" Diana said shrugging.

"It ruins your life." Scott insisted ignoring Diana,

"It ruined your life." Jackson said shaking his head. "You know, you had all the power in the world and you didn't know what to do with it. You know what it's like, it's like you turned sixteen and someone bought you a Porsche instead of starting you out with a nice little Honda. Me?" He leant in, "I drive a Porsche." He backed off back to his car and drove away leaving the three stood by the Jeep.

"I get why you always call him Jackass now." Stiles said to Diana who nodded knowingly. She clapped Scott on the shoulder,

"I could have told you have that was gonna go sugar." She shrugged and climbed back into the Jeep pulling out her phone, Alison was taking Lydia shopping apparently they had made up after the whole Jackson asking Alison to the dance and Lydia kissing Scott thing.

Stiles dropped Scott off at the preserve so he could go looking for Alison, on the way back to Diana's house he finally managed to say what had been on him mind.

"So, you going to the dance with anyone?" Diana smiled out of the window having moved to the front seat when Scott got out.

"Donavan asked me." She said, Stiles nodded.

"So you're going with Donavan?" He asked, Diana looked flatly at him,

"I'd rather pull out my own teeth." Stiles laughed in response, "I'm probably going to go stag. You?"

"Yeah, probably."

The rest of the drive was quiet. They pulled up to Diana's house and he turned off the engine.

"Hey, look." Diana stopped moving to get out giving him her full attention. "Thank you for this, and everything else. I mean, ugh…" He groaned throwing himself over the steering wheel.

"You probably think I'm a total freak but I'm really glad we're friends, I don't know what I'd do without you." Stiles admitted to the wheel. Diana smiled a true smile of just happiness. Suddenly she had an idea.

"Would you like to see how I can see?" He looked up confused.

"You see differently to me?" He asked not understanding, she inched closer,

"Close your eyes. This is just one of the ways that I can see." She rested her right hand over his eyes and focused.

Stiles felt her hand lift, his eyes fluttering open to a world made new.

His mouth fell open, the outside was so bright, he could see the life in the trees lining the driveway and the birds in the trees, each species a different colour, each life form a different level of brightness. He looked to Diana then, letting a tear fall from his eye; she was the brightest of all and tied to him by a thick strand of light. Her soft face illuminated her hair flames, living flames and her skin glowed like fire was contained within it.

"It's-"

"I know." Diana said moving to put her hand back over his eyes but he moved away,

"No, don't." He protested weakly not wanting to give up the view just yet."

"Stiles' you'll go blind." She moved again and this time he didn't stop her letting her soft touch take away the other sight.

He opened his eyes again to the usual way that he saw quickly wiping away the tears from his face.

"Pretty cool huh?" She said lightly. Stiles nodded laughing,

"Yeah, really, really cool. My god I'm so glad we're friends." He blurted laughing, his usual energy coming through. Diana laughed.

"So am I." She admitted, "If I showed that to a Freeze they wouldn't care, if I showed it to someone like Donavan then he'd run a mile. Stiles, you thinking this is cool, makes it cool."

He blushed smiling modestly putting his head on his shoulder in a move that could only be described as Stiles.

Diana smiled again reaching for the door,

"See you later Stiles."

"You bet!" He shouted after her, Diana looked back to see him telling himself off for saying that turning the engine over and pulling out of the Preston's circular driveway.

She shook her head and entered her house.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm outside. We need to go right now." Stiles practically shouted down he phone, Diana panicked grabbed her boots and dived for her closet mirror laughing herself through it and landing next to Stiles' Jeep quickly pulling herself up from the short fall and hopping into the blue vehicle. Stiles took off down the road speeding the entire way,

"I love that you trust me so much Di." Stiles admitted. She panted nodding out the windshield,

"Yeah, yeah same, now what's going on?" Diana said.

"Peter has Scott's mom." Stiles said. Diana made a squeaking noise bending to put her Chelsea boots onto her feet. "Yeah, exactly."

Five minutes later they spotted the car parked on the side of the road.

"There, I see them."

"Yeah, so do I hang on." Stiles said driving headlong into the back of the car.

Melissa exited the car the same time as Diana.

"Are you kidding me?" She demanded exasperated slamming the car door. "Stiles!"

Stiles' Jeep was steaming as he scrambled to exit the vehicle.

"Mrs McCall?" Stiles said acting dumb looking to Diana.

"Yeah." She said sharply.

"Wow. This is just crazy, what a coincidence huh?" He said stupidly moving closer to the enraged woman.

She looked at the auburn haired girl making her way to Stiles' side.

"You are?" She demanded, Diana tried to look guilty,

"The distraction, I dropped my phone in his footwell." Stiles looked at her like she had hung the moon, "Also known as Diana Preston."

Peter's head whipped round.

"Tie-Dye?" He blurted accidentally, his goddaughter looking at him fully then. Peter Hale still looked like he did before the fire, his hair was maybe a little longer but that was all, she had so many memories of visiting him in the hospital when she first moved to Beacon Hills, telling him about her mother and father and the hunters that killed both of their families.

"Uncle Peter? Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "We are so sorry! Look we should just call this in get it all cleared up, my Uncle will want to know too probably demand insurance and all that." Diana said trying to play for time.

"I don't think that's necessary, like you said, you dropped your phone, it was an accident." Peter said smoothly, Stiles paled,

"Are you sure?" He rubbed his neck, " I think I got a little whiplash."

"Whiplash?!" Melissa shouted, "You hit us!"

"I don't know, I think there's something wrong with my neck." Stiles said Diana shook her head her eyebrows raised at the nerve of the kid as he continued to try and keep them there.

Diana pulled out Stile's phone from his pocket and dialled for the dispatcher,

"How may we help you?" They sounded,

"There's been a collision just outside of the Benson Green area, please could you send someone, nobody's hurt but there are other cars and we're kinda blocking the road." She said letting a little fear into her voice.

"Miss," The woman on the other end began but then sighed, "It's my first collision but I'm with the Sheriffs boy." Diana would swear she heard the dispatcher roll her eyes,

"You're with Stiles?" She said,

"Y-yeah." Diana replied,

"What's your name sweetie?"

"Diana Preston."

"The Mayors girl?" The dispatcher said suddenly attentive,

"His niece yeah." Diana confirmed.

"Someone will be with you real soon." The dispatcher hung up.

"You crashed with the Mayors niece?!" Melissa exploded at Stiles having heard part of the conversation. Stiles shrunk back slightly form the commanding woman. "You could have," Melissa let out a frustrated growl.

"I'm fine." Diana said replacing the phone into Stiles' pocket, then she looked up and met Melissa McCall's furious gaze. "And will be waiting in the car." Diana scuttled back into the Jeep leaving Stiles to deal with his best friend's mother. He periodically looked back at her with pleading eyes to which Diana shook her head at each time.

Eventually the junior deputy turned up and took a few statements, made sure everyone was fine and sent them all on their way again.

Stiles drove Diana home both silent reflecting on the close call they just avoided.

"Hey, I feel like I should pick up your insurance premium for this, I mean the police man was very accepting of my fault in the accident, I may as well follow it through." Diana said eventually.

"Oh no, no it's fine." Stiles spluttered.

"No, it's not Stiles." She argued,

"Yeah it is, I mean, I dragged you out here and," He shrugged,

"This would bankrupt you, I'm paying." Diana said forcefully, Stiles only nodded in reply.

"Thank you." He looked to be fighting himself again, Diana rolled her eyes,

"Spit it out Stiles, nothing that you can say will offend me so much that I never talk to you again."

He grimaced,

"How much are you worth?" He finally asked, "Like I know you're the mayor's niece and all but like, how much?"

Diana tossed her head from shoulder to shoulder trying to decide how best to answer.

"Like are rich as Jackson or?" Stiles asked,

Diana smiled a grimace,

"MoRe?" He exclaimed, Diana sighed,

"I am the sole heir to six properties, and one of the largest accountancy businesses in the US as well as the accumulated fortunes of about seven generations of Witches." She admitted not looking at the astounded boy. "It's about seventeen Jacksons until I turn twenty one then its 'bout thirty."

Silence followed,

"Why do you go to our school then? Why not a public school?"

"We built Beacon Hills, we will be taught by Beacon Hills." Diana said in her best impression on her Uncle Simon. Stiles scoffed a laugh, "It's a grounding thing, you go to a normal high school and you mix with normal people and you will be more accepted by the people of the town and more sympathetic to their struggles." Diana shrugged.

Stiles nodded,

"Makes sense in a crazy rich people way." He laughed, "I'm still freaking out about this though."

Diana gaped at him,

"This? This is what you freak out about?!" She turned her body to face him, "Seriously?"

"Well yeah, you're mega rich!" Stiles reasoned, Diana shook her head gesturing no with her hands,

"No, no, no, you don't freak out about my being a Witch or that Werewolves exist or that I have a _window to the afterlife in my bedroom_ , you freak out over the fact that I don't ever have to worry about money?" She exclaimed.

"When you put it like that…" Stiles said laughing. Diana rubbed her face, with both hands in exasperation.

"I don't even have any make-up on Stiles!" She lamented into her hands,

"So?" He asked, "You look fine without it, just a pretty as ever." He mumbled.

"No I talked to people looking like this."

"Oh my God!" Stiles drawled loudly. Diana shot upright,

"I need to tell my Aunt and Uncle about Peter!" She exclaimed, "My Aunt hated him but he was my Mother's best friend here!"

"Is that why he's your godfather?" Stiles asked pulling into her drive, "Still can't believe he's your godfather by the way."

Diana nodded looking up to her house.

"Is this one of yours?" Stiles blurted out his curiosity taking over. Diana smiled at him, she nodded biting her lip.

"Where are the rest?" He pressed gently,

"Here, Washington, New York, there's the 'traditional family seat' just outside London where I had my childhood and then there' a flat in Paris and a house in Greece." She told him,

"But your Uncle and Aunt live here?" He frowned. Diana smiled at him,

"And they will continue to do so as long as they want to totally rent free." She said absolutely. She caught his eyes again, "If you ever needed a place or anything like that soul buddy, it's all yours."

His mouth fell open.

"You're kidding right?" Diana shook her head,

"Dead serious." She said and he laughed incredulously. "Look, my family has been helping out and bankrolling the members of the coven that needs it for decades, centuries. It's a collective, we all help out anyway that we can, it just so happens that the Preston's made the best investments before the market crashed in the thirties and we have been able to grow from that."

Stiles leant back in his seat shaking his head again.

Diana sat in silence with him for a minute before it became unbearable.

"Would you like to come inside meet my grandma through my window to the afterlife?" She offered, Stiles didn't say anything he just got out of the Jeep. Diana grinned and followed him. Showing the unusually silent boy to her room.

He took it all in with a grin splitting his face. Then he saw the mirror.

"Is this?" He pointed to the large silver antique rectangle framed in silver filigree. Diana nodded, moving forward to lift the lace curtain.

"Diana?" She was greeted by the aged face of her grandmother.

"Hey Grandma, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Diana said waving Stiles forward, her grandmother grinned,

"This is your soul bond?" She asked excitedly grinning; Her grandmother suddenly looked behind her like she had heard a noise. "It's lovely to meet you young man. Diana brace yourself." Her grandmother looked Stiles up and down once again while Diana frowned.

"LEMME SEE HIM!" Agnes suddenly appeared pushing Diana's grandmother gently but forcefully out of the frame. Her young face alight with happiness.

"Stiles, this is Agnes, the only other soul bonded Witch that would speak to me. She was also the one that gave me and my Grandmother the spell." Stiles pointed at the mirror looking from Diana to the ghostly figure in the glass.

"Oh my god wow." He grinned, "Hi!" He started forward but Diana caught him.

"Can't touch." She shook her head.

"Oh, Diana, he's handsome." Stiles grinned at Diana in response. She shoved at his shoulder,

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head." He continued to grin anyway.

"I've stopped freaking out now by the way." He said happily to her, Diana breathed out a long breath,

"Thank god." She rolled her eyes, "Goodnight Agnes." She said with a knowing smile dropping the curtain again.

Stiles stood in her room looking about himself fully then, taking in the moving birds on the wall paper of the sloping wall and the full wall covered in books and equipment like her pestle and mortar and little cauldron.

"You're really okay?" Diana asked again crossing her arms nervously round her torso. Stiles nodded at her vigorously, his face fell when he spotted the large black and white clock hanging over her door opposite her bed,

"I've got to go or my Dad will start to worry." He stood awkwardly for another second then threw his arms open wide in invitation of a hug, Diana grinned and dived into his arms. He held her tight for a long moment revelling in holding a girl against his body dropping his chin to the top of her head. The scent of violets and lilacs met his nose making him want to breathe deeply never wanting to forget the smell.

Diana pulled away from him and smiled softly up to him.

"Goodnight Stiles." His whiskey eyes widened and he nodded,

"Good- goodnight Di." He stepped away and out the door.

Diana sat on her bed and waited until she heard his jeep rumble away before fully going to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

Alison was moping again. Lydia had decided that they were all going to Macey's to get their outfits and had dragged Diana along despite her protestations that she was busy. Alison had told her that they were going to get Stiles to go to the dance with Lydia which Diana was actually happy about, she wanted Stiles to be happy and if that meant Lydia then she was happy too.

"Nothing's wrong." Alison began getting on the escalator behind Lydia and Diana, "I've a lot on my mind."

Diana nodded understandingly, she could get behind that. Heather had told Diana that morning the Swan family were coming to town in a few weeks. This meant only one thing to Diana, Logan. It was enough to put her mind in a spin, especially as her friends were hell bent on catching the Alpha who just so happened to be her godfather.

"You could smile at least." Lydia directed, "Ever hear the saying, never frown, someone could be falling in love with your smile."

"Yes, because you say that to me every time I frown." Diana joked, Alison scoffed,

"Smile Alison." Lydia ordered "I'm buying you a dress." She hit the other girl lightly with her jacket.

Alison shared a look with Diana who was smiling extra wide to make a point.

"I have to admit that as apologies go it's more than I expected." They reached the top to the escalator, "But not as much as I'm going to ask."

This was going to be interesting.

"What?" Lydia asked confused. "What's that supposed to mean?

"It means, you're going to cancel on whatever dumb roided up jock you said yes too and you're going to go with somebody else." Alison said carefully. Diana nodded in support of the hunter, amazed that she was able to pretend to like the girl as well as she did.

Lydia looked past the two taller girls in front of her,

"Who?"

Diana smiled, Lydia looked scared, she knew that smile on Diana, nothing good ever came out of that smile.

"Him." Diana pointed to the perfume counter. Stiles was sniffing different scents absently, Diana laughed quietly as he started to sneeze dramatically having accidentally sprayed his nose.

"Awww." Alison mocked good naturedly at Lydia's expression.

"But he's," She weakly protested, Diana shook her head,

"In love with you for a _really_ painfully long time Lyds." She cut in with an eyebrow flick. "He's nice." She shrugged,

"If he's so nice you go with him." Lydia snapped. Diana rolled her eyes,

"He'll piss of Jackson." Diana deadpanned, that did the trick. Lydia squared her shoulders and tried to stand taller than her five foot three would allow. "Besides I have a date." Diana mumbled.

"Fine." She snapped. Alison smiled at the redhead,

"Don't frown Lydia, someone could be falling in love with your smile." She reminded mockingly. Diana barked out a laugh catching Stiles' attention. He tried to look casual leaning against the counter and waved.

Lydia decide that she would accept the decision made for her but not that she was going to like it, dumping dresses on him to carry before she tried them all on. Stiles looked desperately at Diana who just shook her head in response.

 _You wanted Lydia, you got Lydia Stiles_. She told him, Stiles sent her a pleading look.

"Hey Alison, what about this one?" Diana suggested a white tule thing covered in sequins.

Alison laughed and shook her head.

"Oh come on? A big glittery bow for your hair, really tie together the whole third grade look." Diana pressed considering the dress.

"What about this one?" Alison proffered a neon pink bodycon number with a plunging neckline. Diana looked horrified,

"I'd rather kiss Donovan." She said miming being sick. Diana replaced the while tulle and gestured to the other railing a little way off. "I'm going to look over here."

"Okay." Alison said brightly, happy that the other girl had seemingly warmed up to her.

Diana had found the dress. It was a short dark blue cocktail dress with no tulle and minimal ruffles. It highlighted her freckled skin and auburn hair, perfect.

She took it over to where he had left Alison but stopped short.

"Hello Peter." Diana greeted coming to stand at Alison's side. "What brings you to the women's dress department? Got something to tell me?"

Peter smiled graciously.

"Diana." He stepped a little closer pressing a dress to Alison. "You look the spit of your mother."

He looked to Alison then his cold gaze lingering,

"Such a pity what happened." He said coolly. Diana narrowed her gaze,

"I think your goddaughters parents being brutally murdered is a little more than a pity, don't you _Uncle_ Peter?" Diana spat. Alison looked shocked at the girl behind her.

" _Attention shoppers will the owner of a blue Mazda please come to the front desk, your car is being towed_." The PA system announced. Alison looked to Diana,

"My car's a blue Mazda." She exclaimed reaching into her bag and running off.

"Nice." Diana sassed. Peter smirked.

"Look, I get that you want Scott's attention but please stop." She said shaking her head; she moved to walk past her godfather to the changing rooms.

Peter caught her arm, his eyes flashing red.

"Wouldn't you want vengeance too?" He said imploring her to understand his plight. Diana shook her head and wrenched her arm from his grip.

"I have mine." She spat turning on her heel and marching in the direction of her friends.

Diana pulled up to the school in her black Audi but this time she was not alone.

"You ready?" Isaac asked with a grin, he looked really handsome in his suit and tie, even if they didn't quite fit.

"As I'll ever be." She nodded getting out of the car, her silver heels and calculated jewellery all adding to the overall look, she had even curled her normally straight hair.

The dance was like every other high school dance, streamers hanging from the ceiling, disco lights flashing and annoyed teachers stood around the hall.

Diana and Isaac danced for a little but it got a little awkward so they sat at the same table as Lydia and Stiles.

"I have to go home now. My dad's outside." Isaac told Diana discreetly leaning close so that she could hear him over the music. Diana nodded understandingly,

"Okay."

"I just don't want you to think that I'm ditching you that's all." Isaac said trying to explain. Diana put her hand on his arm and smiled,

"I know its ok."

Isaac beamed at his chemistry partner,

"You look really beautiful tonight Di." He said blushing. Without letting her say anything back he made a swift exit out of the gym leaving Diana with Stiles and an apathetic Lydia.

 _How do I get her to dance with me?_ Stiles asked Diana desperate for any scrap of help she would give, Diana smiled.

 _Be forceful. Tell her what to do, leave no room for argument_.

 _And if that fails?_

 _Tell her how you feel_.

Diana gave Stiles a pointed look moving to go and stand with a couple of her other friends who also had no dates.

 _It worked!_ Diana looked up to see Stiles happily strutting onto the dancefloor being led by Lydia. He was like the cat that got the cream.

"MACCALL! I SEE YOU!" Coach bellowed over the music, Diana had to stifle a laugh watching the teacher try to push through the crowd of moving bodies to catch her friend, who was doing his best to not be caught. She couldn't help it and sniggered into her blue plastic cup.

"Come here buddy!" He called again. Diana's stomach began to ache from silent laughter, her friends around her also hiding giggles at the scene.

Eventually Coach was foiled by Scott dragging Danny to the floor with him insinuating homophobia.

"Nicely done Scott." Diana whispered knowing that he could hear her. Confirmed by his meeting her eyes and smiling.

Diana sat on the bleachers talking to another girl when she heard him.

 _It's always Jackson_.

Diana searched the gym for Stiles then seeing him walk out after Lydia.

 _I'm sorry_. She said back. She could feel the disappointment through their bond.

 _It's not your fault_. Stiles replied.

[To Lydia, From Diana]

[Everything okay chick?]

Diana didn't get a reply. So she waited, and after ten minutes when she still had no reply she made her excuses from the now small crowd of disappointed girls and marched off, calling Lydia's phone.

 _Jackson's not with Lydia_. Stiles said when Diana reached the door to the fields.

 _Check the bathrooms, I'll check outside_. She replied.

Suddenly the floodlights turned on, one by one, illuminating the red haired girl in the middle of the field.

"Jackson!" Lydia called,

"Lydia!" Diana screamed pitching forward into a run, her silver heels slowing her down.

In desperation she kicked them off and sprinted barefoot towards the girl. Peter was with her. This could not end well.

 _She's in the field, Peter's here_. She shouted to Stiles through the bond feeling only dread in return.

It did not end well.

Diana felt like she was running in slow motion as she saw the beast Peter became and the attack on her best friend.

Stiles must have been closer than she thought because he came pelting out the doors after her,

"LYDIA! DIANA!" he bellowed.

Diana reached Lydia's bruised body with tears pouring from her face.

"You bastard!" She screamed at Peter, "You'll pay for this."

Peter crouched over her like an animal would over its prey and growled in response.

"Enough of your hollow threats little Witch." He mocked.

Stiles skidded to a stop next to Diana his face alight with worry,

"Don't kill her." Stiles said shakily, "Please." He begged.

Peter considered this for a moment looking back to the body of the girl below him,

"Of course not." He said in a buttery tone, "Just tell me how to find Derek."

"What?" Stiles spluttered, Peter ran a claw along Lydia's cheek gently smoothing a little hair away.

"I don't know that! How would I know that?" Stiles exclaimed fear coursing through his body. Diana tried to look Lydia over from where she was knelt on the grass but she couldn't see much through the tears.

Peter growled,

"The Witch is useless like this, and you _will_ tell me, because you're the clever one aren't you?" He leant closer to the shaking boy, "And because deception has a particularly acrid scent Stiles. Tell me the truth."

Stiles looked to Diana then, she was his other half, and he needed her and Lydia to be okay.

Diana blinked away the tears, pushing emotion aside ready to protect him if she needed to.

"Or I will rip her apart, then the Witch too." Peter said softly, his words conveying the power and conviction behind them.

"Look I don't know okay? I swear to god I've no idea." He babbled,

"TELL ME!" Peter roared the force of the wolf being called forward. Stiles curled into himself in fear, his hands shaking.

"Okay okay okay look." Stiles flustered, "I think he knew." Stiles caught Diana's eye.

"Who?" Peter pressed,

"Derek, I think he knew he was going to be taken." Stiles said desperately, "He and Scott, when they were shot, he took-"

"Scott's phone." Diana gasped, remembering Alison tell them in the store that he had lost his phone and couldn't contact her, that it was driving her nutts. Stiles nodded.

"They have GPS now; you can track the phone to where he is." Stiles said quickly.

Peter smiled creepily and stood up.

"You're coming with me." He announced.

"No, I'm not just letting you leave her here." Stiles insisted.

"Stiles, I'll call for help it's ok." Diana said softly now able to look over Lydia's injuries better. She couldn't see any major bleeding so she was a little less worried. She did see a bite however which did worry her.

"I'm not leaving you here either." Stiles insisted to Diana.

"You don't have a choice Stiles you're coming with me." Peter told him.

Peter stepped forward and lifted the kneeling boy by his chin.

"Call your friend, Jackson? Get him to get the girls." He looked back to Diana then, "Even if I do doubt he could do more than my Goddaughter."

Diana glared at him,

"Oh don't worry; I'll take good care of your boy." Peter mocked, "Bring him back with little damage."

Peter watched Stiles fumble for his phone dialling Jackson. Then the second that Stiles had told the boy where they were Peter grabbed his arm and pulled him away abandoning the two teenage girls.

Diana watched him go with a mix of anger and sadness. They couldn't let anyone know about the bond, about how easy it would be to manipulate her and kill her through him. Her hands were very effectively tied and there was nothing that she could do.


	12. Chapter 12

She didn't have to wait long for Jackson to find them. The boy raced over to the girls.

"What happened?" He demanded,

"I don't know but we need help _now_." Jackson looked like he was about to freak out so Diana took control. "Pick her up carefully and follow me."

They ran into the parking lot together, Jackson carrying Lydia screaming for help, Diana barefoot, bloody and covered in mud her phone against her ear calling for an ambulance.

Jackson went with Lydia in the ambulance to the hospital while Diana drove her car behind them, the flashing lights periodically illuminating her distraught face.

Jackson stayed with her while they stabilised her, Diana calling Lydia's house getting her mother.

"Mrs Martin?"

"Yes?" Lydia's mother answered,

"Lydia's been attacked by something, it's Diana, we are at the hospital, you might want to get here quickly."

"Is she okay?" Fear dripped from Lydia's mothers voice, Diana let out a shaky breath,

"No." Diana didn't need to say anything else then, her mother springing into action, thanking Diana and hanging up.

Diana pressed the device to her forehead and breathed out.

"You said the girl who brought her in found her? Is that her?" Diana heard from behind her.

The other person must have nodded because a second later a warm hand rested on her shoulder.

"Diana?" It was the Sheriff, Stiles' father.

Diana turned and looked into his eyes, shaking her head.

"No." She said, "Don't look at me like that, last time someone looked at me like that they said my parents were dead."

Stiles' father frowned and hardened his gaze in response,

"I need you to tell me what you saw, what happened?" He demanded forcefully,

Diana drew in a deep calming breath steadying her gaze.

"I don't quite know what I saw, the floodlights were on."

"Anything you can give us." The Sheriff assured,

"It was big, like a really, really big dog." Diana said.

"A dog?" He echoed disbelievingly. Diana shrugged,

"It was some kinda animal, it was huge though." She nodded confidently, and then she looked past his shoulder to Lydia's room.

"Are they letting anyone in yet?" She asked softly, the worry that she had been trying to keep at bay seeping through.

The Sherriff shook his head no, his pitying face back. Diana stepped round him to the room's windows.

"I'll call your Uncle." He told her, Diana nodded absently in response staring at her friends' lifeless body. Jackson moved a little closer to her; Diana silently reached for his hand receiving a squeeze in reply. Diana knew her Uncle wasn't able to come to the hospital, he was pretty far upstate at a formal dinner, it was just her and Heather and Heather was on call tonight.

They stood like that until Lydia's mother arrived, the woman was a force of nature, talking to them, to the doctors and looking over the notes before finally stopping to sit by her daughter's bedside.

Diana noticed when Alison wandered in looking like she was going into shock.

 _I guess Alison knows about Scott now_. She thought to herself, she was holding two cups in her hands, one coffee for Lydia's mother another tea for herself, thank god for apple pay being a thing, all she had with her was her phone. She watched from a little way off the corridor was the shell shocked girl paused at Lydia's window and then left.

Diana sighed,

 _And another psycho joins the hunt_.

Diana wanted to fall asleep, the night taking its toll on her, but the wooden hospital chair was not letting her.

"Di." Stiles appeared before her, she shot to her feet.

"When did you get here?" She demanded, looking him over, she seemed fine.

"Just now, what happened to your shoes?" He asked, Diana raised her eyebrows at him,

"Seriously?" He nodded understanding,

"Look come on." He took off down the corridor passing Jackson with her in tow.

Jackson concerned followed.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I need to find Scott." Stiles replied.

"You don't have a car. She can't drive like that either." Jackson gestured to a worse for wear Diana who was still barefoot.

"I am aware of that thank you." Stiles sassed.

"Hey, I'll drive." Jackson said grabbing at Stiles. Stiles beat his hand away.

"Look just because you feel guilty all of a sudden doesn't make it okay, alright, half of this is still your fault."

"Look I have a car you don't," Jackson spat, "Do you want my help or not?"

Diana considered the option. Stiles deflated slightly,

"Alright did you bring the Porsche?" He asked, Jackson pulled out his keys, "Great, I'll drive." Stiles snatched the keys from him. Diana smirked slightly, that quickly fell when she saw who was approaching them.

"Kids. I was wondering if you could tell me where Scott McCall is." Mr Argent said with a smile.

Diana had once heard her father laugh to her mother that he got called on for a deadline that he didn't know had been moved forward but they were ready for it anyway, something he was not privy too. He described the sensation as feeling like his 'heart fell out of his arse'.

Diana's heart fell out of her arse.

"Scott McCall? Haven't seen him since the dance." Stiles said better able to think on his feet than Jackson who floundered for an answer.

The three men manhandled the teens into an empty treatment room throwing them into the examination bed and locking the doors.

"Let's try this again." Mr Argent said this time with more force, "Where is Scott McCall?"

Diana righted herself looking about the room. She hadn't been this close to hunters since she was a child, to now be in a locked room with the two biggest liabilities she knew and three seasoned hunters was terrifying.

"Last I saw him he was at the dance with Alison. In case you didn't notice our friend got attacked." Diana said trying desperately to keep the tremor in her voice to a minimum.

"Finding Scott's not exactly high on our priorities." Stiles sassed following on from Diana.

The Argent then dived for the boy gripping his shirt and shoving him into a cabinet.

"Have you ever seen a rabid dog?" He demanded,

"No." He breathed looking to Diana feeling her fear in their bond. "I could put it on my to do list if you just let me go."

Argent let him go,

"Well I have. And the only thing I can ever compare it to is seeing a friend of mine turn on the full moon. Do you want to know what happened?"

"Not really. No offence to your story telling skills." Stiles said, Diana had a feeling that the man would tell them anyway.

"He tied to kill me." He finished, Diana wrapped her arms around her body, really not liking the way that one of the other hunters was looking at her.

"And I was forced to put a bullet in his head, the whole while that he lay there dying he kept crawling towards me, still trying to kill me like it was the most important thing he could do with his last breath. Can you imagine that?"

Stiles shook his head,

"No, and it sounds like you need to be a little bit more selective-"

Argent slammed his hands onto the cabinet on either side of his head. Stiles flinched. So did Diana, but hers was in the worst way possible.

Stiles glowed a little, her fight or flight reflex adding power to his existing protection spells.

"Did Scott try to kill you on the full moon?!" Argent demanded. "Did you have to lock him up?!"

"Yeah." Stiles blurted, "I handcuffed him to a radiator."

"See not even the Witch you know could protect you from a wolf on the full moon." Stiles paled his eyes flicking to Diana.

"Would you prefer I locked him in a basement and burned the whole house down around him?" Stiles demanded.

Argent shook his head with a smile, backing off,

"I hate to dispel a popular rumour Stiles, but we never did that." Stiles rolled his eyes,

"Yeah right, Derek said you have a code." He looked back to the man before him. "Because nobody ever breaks it." He said sarcastically, Argent looked back to Diana then,

"Preston right?" He said cocking his head. Diana nodded,

"Never." Argent confirmed looking into her eyes; she felt the cool stab of loss once again.

"What if someone does?" She demanded, that got his interest,

"Someone like who?"

"Your sister." Stiles said breathing heavily.

Argent looked at him for a long moment, then let him go stepping away into the room.

"She'd have gone to the Hale House." He said softly.

Nervously Diana reached out for Stiles the boy slipping his hand into hers and together with Jackson they exited the exam room.

"Oh my god." Stiles breathed visibly relaxing.

"Well, I just feel like I lost thirty years of my life." Diana said looking from Stiles to Jackson. "Go, I'll watch Lydia. Let me know what happens."

The boys ran off out of out the hospital while Diana padded back to the room Lydia was in.

It was a long wait eventually she got a call from Stiles,

"Peter's dead, Derek's the new Alpha." He greeted.

"Oh hey, Diana, no I'm fine." She sassed down the phone. Stiles groaned,

"Diana can you not, please?" She felt guilty for her smartarsed reply,

"I'm sorry, please tell me what happened."

"Well I don't really know but Scott said that Kate went crazy started shooting at Derek and him, then Peter showed up and killed Kate, fought Scott, transformed into the monster thing and that was when me and Jackson showed up. We had stopped back at the school and made some more of the cocktail things that Lydia said about, only this time they worked." He drew a deep breath then,

"I'm still here, go on."

"Well I threw mine and he caught the damn thing, Alison shot it with her bow thing and well, basically we set him on fire then Derek slashed his throat."

"You okay?" She pressed concerned about how tired he sounded.

"I will be, I just need the entire friggin universe to stop trying to kill me and my friends." Stiles said unhappily down the phone.

"Well, if you have a second could you go to the school and pick up my car? The keys are in my bag which should be by my shoes on the field. I don't have either and am stuck at the hospital."

"Sure," Stiles sighed, "I'll be there soon."

"Thank you." Diana said sincerely.

An hour and a half later and Stiles showed up at Lydia's room with her bag, her keys and her emergency hoodie and trainers that she kept in the boot. The sight of him walking tiredly towards her nearly made her cry.

He was covered in mud, his shirt was fully untucked and his tie loosened.

"Hey." She whispered, he smiled thinly as a reply holding out her things.

"You are the best." She thanked, he looked through the glass while she put her shoes on.

"There's been no change." Diana said coming to stand next to him pulling on the hoodie. "I snuck in when her mum was going for coffee, it's not healing. Whatever she is now, it's not a werewolf."

"Could she be like…" He gestured to Diana. She shook her head no.

"To be like me you have to be born, it doesn't just happen. For years Witches were warned to not get involved with Weres due to the savage nature of their abilities but now," Diana shrugged, "There are so few of us left, we kinda have to."

Stiles looked down at her; she just reached above his shoulder in height,

"So you gonna be on Scott's team, you gonna help us?" He asked hopefully, Diana looked at Lydia and shook her head again. Stiles seemed to deflate just that little bit more,

"Well then –" He began frustrated,

"I'm on your team, yours and hers." Diana said over him. Stiles frowned,

"But you act like you don't even like her half the time."

"And she acts like she doesn't like me the other half, it's what we do. She was the first friend that I made when I moved here and she made me feel normal, not the Witch girl who only knew one spell with murdered parents." Diana sighed leaning her head on the glass, "Just normal."

"That's a pretty rare thing these days." Stiles nodded.

"It will be even rarer soon. Derek will try to get me to be on his side." She told him straightening from the glass.

"What?" Stiles demanded.

"He knows about me, knows what I can do and he knows about us. He will try to get me on his side through you."

"Friggin fantastic." Stiles exclaimed throwing his head back.

"Yeah, I know. Come on, I'll drive you home." Diana said flatly, Stiles lingered for a second longer before following.


	13. Chapter 13

Diana had never been happier to be home. Having had the longest of showers she had finally crawled into bed about one in the morning feeling drained and tired. Stiles' voice saying _G'night Di_ was the last thing she remembered before finally succumbing to the darkness.

When Diana finally awoke, she did so because of hunger. Fighting her way bleary eyes out of the cocoon that she had made for herself in her sleep she padded barefoot to the kitchen ready to eat anything.

"Good afternoon." Simon greeted her, he leant against the granite worktop and dark wood cabinets cradeling a mug.

Diana grunted in reply. Simon scoffed,

"You seemed to have quite the night, me and Heather thought it best to let you sleep in."

"Heather and I." Diana mumbled,

"Pardon?" Simon pressed mockingly with a smirk.

"It's Heather and I not me and Heather." Diana corrected with a yawn.

"Yeah you're fine." He looked to the open family room door, "Heather she's fine she's correcting my grammar."

Diana heard Heather laugh,

"When did you get back?" Diana asked pulling out a large bowl and reaching for the cereal.

"Early this morning, when the Sherriff called I thought it best to come home." Simon shrugged readjusting his glasses.

"Sorry to cut short your dinner." Diana said, her uncle was a slight man, if she was being poetic she'd say he was gracefully proportioned but she wasn't and at that moment with him leaning on the counter she thought he just looked skinny.

"Meh," Simon sipped at his mug, "Those kinds of things are ass kissing events anyway, you saved me from a night of bullshit and drinking too much."

"Still." Diana shrugged; she'd taken a seat at the large breakfast bar and was devouring her cereal.

Simon shook his head,

"You and Heather are my number one priority. Never forget that."

The doorbell sounded interrupting their heartfelt moment. Simon rolled his eyes but moved to answer the door.

"Don't all rush at once girls."

"Tell them to go away." Diana called just as Simon opened the door to the Sheriff.

"Noah. How are you?" Simon greeted. Diana froze, _Shit_ she thought her spoon dripping with milk, agonising for a long moment.

Heather appeared at the door to the family room her gaze on Diana.

"I'm good Simon, I thought you said you were in LA, couldn't get away." Noah said good naturedly, Simon gave him a look, "Yeah I get it, priorities. It's why I thought I'd come by, see, we need a statement from Diana and I thought it would be nicer to do it here."

Diana shook her head at Heather, she was trapped, she couldn't get back to the stairs to her room without crossing the sight line from the front door and if Simon was going to invite them in he would lead the cop through the kitchen to get to either the great living room or the family room.

Heather knew Diana's only option was the library.

"Go." She hissed gesturing franticly to the large oak door. Diana darted off, made it two steps then hunger won and she dived back for her bowl carrying it with her carefully into the library.

So there Diana stood hidden among her families collection of knowledge waiting to hear what the Sheriff had to say.

"Come on in Noah." Simon invited his friend into their home,

"Thank you. Where is your niece?" He asked politely entering the kitchen.

"I think she's in her room." Simon shrugged, he gestured for the officer to take Diana's recently vacated seat.

"Is this about what happened to the Martin girl?" Heather queried coming to stand by her husband of ten years.

"You heard about that huh?" Noah said,

"Noah, come on, in a town this size, everyone's heard about it." Simon scoffed,

"Yeah, so, I really do need to talk to Diana. I have a suspicion that she and my son know more than they let on but Stiles won't talk to me. Has she said anything to either of you?"

"No." Simon replied instantly. Heather didn't say anything.

"Heather?" Noah pressed,

"Well, she hasn't been right since the night at the school. I think it's all bringing back memories of her parents." Heather said carefully.

Diana had heard enough and stepped back from the door. There was a hidden door at the back of the large room that lead to her Aunt and Uncle's bedroom upstairs she crossed to it and moved as quickly and quietly as she could to her bedroom.

"Heather." Simon counselled quietly. Heather shot her husband a look,

"He needs to know." Noah looked exceedingly confused.

"What do I need to know?"

"Diana saw it all. She was there when the break in happened, she saw the people that killed her parents, they wanted to kill her too but she ran away. Turned up the next morning at her friend's house six limes away, she'd been running all night." The sheriff was stunned,

"So she…" He realised, Simon looked stoic, like he was trying to desperately control himself.

"She had to identify the men they brought in, yes." Noah rubbed his face. This was getting to be too much for the man.

"Look, how about you give me a call when she's ready?" He said "I can't imagine what something like that does to a kid."

"Well Noah, it makes them shut up for a year and only talk to one girl. She's now lying in a hospital bed." Simon said tersely. Noah nodded standing to leave.

"I get now why you don't talk of it Si and I'm sorry." He said, Simon sighed letting the anger go,

"I know. She's all I have left of Thea and she looks more like her every day." Simon admitted putting his mug down. "You know what that's like."

"I do." The Sheriff confirmed, Simon hugged the other man then, not a tense overly masculine hug but a complete embracing of another person. One that was sorely needed in that moment.

Diana and her mother had been Lydia's rock the past weekend; Diana had arrived after giving her statement to the police with a duffle bag of clothes, shampoos conditioners and clothes. Lydia actually cried when Diana set the Fred Perry bag on the bed table and started to pull out the contents.

"You looked like you could use a few home comforts." Diana smiled,

"Di you are an angel sent from heaven." Lydia said sniffing the rose scented shampoo that Diana had just handed her.

Diana had just laughed and plugged in her phone to charge,

"Yeah well this angel is only allowed to be here because Heather is on shift."

Diana had been decided by the Coven to be in danger and that she was worth every effort extolled to keep her safe. This included, but was not limited to, not going anywhere on her own.

"You need help getting in the shower?" Lydia's dad asked her as she gingerly got out of the bed; Diana smirked pulling clothes for the girl out of the Lydia's bag.

"Maybe if I was four." Lydia said sarcastically, "And still taking bubble baths." She breezed past her father to the bathroom,

"Right, well, I'll just wait outside where it's a little less sarcastic." He mumbled exiting the room. Diana followed him deciding to give her best friend some privacy.

Stiles was still where she had left him, lying awkwardly on the waiting chairs with the 'get well soon' balloon tied round his wrist. Diana just shook her head at the boy.

"He been there all night?" Lydia's father asked, Melissa McCall laughed,

"He's been there all weekend." She informed the man, Diana had, had enough.

"Stiles." She hissed walking over to his side quickly. He spluttered sleepily his head lolling back,

"Mmm Diana, it's Lydia though." He mumbled, Diana looked a little discussed, but shook his shoulder.

"Stiles." She insisted, finally jerking him awake.

"Oh hey Diana." He said stupidly, taking in who was in front of him.

"Good evening Stiles." She said pointedly, "What are you still doing here?"

"Well, I'm waiting to see Lydia." He answered still half asleep. Diana rubbed her face,

"You've been here for days Stiles."

"And?" He prompted which earnt him an eye roll.

"And nothing, c'mon let's get something to eat." Diana suggested spying the vending machine a little way off.

Stiles shot to his feet,

"No, no, I'll get it; you stay here in case she needs anything."

"If she needs anything there are teams of qualified medical professionals to help her, because we are in hospital." Diana snapped frustrated.

"Yeah but…" Stiles looked a little taken aback by her attitude. Diana bethought herself and sighed, putting her hand on Stiles' chest.

"Look, I'm sorry, I will wait here." She said with a kind of forced calm, Stiles nodded and wandered off down the corridor.

Diana did wait there, she watched as Stiles wandered off in search of food for them then she sat in the seat he had vacated and pulled out her tarot cards from the back pocket of her jeans.

"Focus on Lydia." She murmured to herself pulling the first card from the pack. The High Priestess.

"Not bad." Diana mused, she withdrew the next card, the chariot. Diana rolled her eyes,

"I could have told you that." She hissed reaching once again to the pack. The wanderer. Diana's eyes shot to Lydia's door. All she could glean in that moment was that a great change was upon them.

 _Why do I get the feeling that the last few weeks have been an easy trial period for something greater?_ Diana asked Stiles through their bond.

 _No. No don't say that_. Stiles groaned back petulantly.

Diana could still hear the water running behind the door, if only the hunters weren't in town, then Diana could cast properly and see what her friend was or at least try to undo the binding with Stiles. His devotion to Lydia though commendable was getting a little irritating, honestly Diana didn't know fully how she felt about the boy yet but she was sure that she wanted a real relationship in her life, not just to be looking in on someone else's, at the same time she adored her friend Lydia and if they were both happy then she could live with that, so long as she found something herself.

Nobody said being a teenager was easy, let alone being a teen Witch but they definitely didn't say that it would be this hard.

She replaced the cards into the deck shuffling them pensively. Then she heard it. The crash, she smiled to herself.

 _What did you do?_ She demanded teasingly.

 _Nothing_. Stiles answered quickly. _Definitely didn't tip the machine. Nope, not me_.

Diana smiled again. This quickly faded, she could hear Lydia whimpering inside the room, concerned she got to her feet and entered the room.

"Lydia?" Diana called, the whimpering was now accompanied by splashing, "Lydia?!" Diana called crossing to the bathroom door. She tried the handle. Locked.

"Lydia let me in." Diana called through the wood.

A high scream answered her. Diana became frantic pushing on the door. Slamming her hands against the wood.

"Lydia!" Stiles called, Diana not noticing when him and two others entered the room. Eventually her frustration bared fruit as her magic seamed to pry the door open her hand on the handle pulling the entrance wide open to reveal, an empty bathroom.

She was gone.

Diana looked to the open window, then to Stiles. They both seemed to understand. Whatever she was, she was gone.

"Call your dad." Diana instructed a shocked Stiles who fumbled for his phone.

"What are you going to do?" He hissed back already dialling.

"I'm calling the coven. This has gone far enough." Diana said with a shake in her voice. "We need reinforcements and no offence but the police can't do anything here."

Stiles nodded understanding what she meant.

Diana watched chewing the side of her little finger nervously as the Sheriff spoke to Lydia's dad and Scott's mom.

"Any other descriptors?" He asked, Stiles suddenly appeared at his father's side,

"She's five foot three, green eyes and her hair is actually strawberry blonde." He insisted,

Diana rolled her eyes pushing his shoulder,

"Way to be creepy Stiles." She admonished. Diana looked to the Sherriff,

"She has a birthmark; it's on her left shoulder, shaped like a fish. She hates it."

The Sheriff looked to her then, his eyes softening.

"Thank you Diana." He didn't ask how she knew, just wrote it down. He grabbed the base of his sons neck pulling him away from the others.

Mr Martin looked to Diana,

"Did you hear anything before?" Diana shook her head. She really hadn't heard anything else she was too busy trying to get into the bathroom.

"I was here with Diana." Stiles said thinking quickly, Diana was becoming his excuse more and more these days.

"Uh- huh? Well then why don't you take Diana home?" The Sheriff directed, he turned back to the girl then.

"Diana, my son will take you home and stay with you until your Aunt gets home, I know they don't want you on your own."

Diana looked at Stiles' wide eyes and nodded rapidly, moving towards the boy quickly not looking at the downed machine that two men were working on restoring.

"Can you find her like you did Jackson?" Stiles hissed rounding the corner,

"I can try but you would have better luck with using Scott as a tracking dog, with the Argents in town there is a ban on major magic's like it would take to find Lydia."

"What do you mean major? You did it before with just a compass." Stiles pushed his hand over his head exasperated.

"This isn't an exact science Stiles!" Diana hissed back just as agitated, "I was tracking Jackson's car before, an in animate object, that was a simple seeking spell all I needed was the compass. Lydia Martin is a person, a person who isn't wearing _anything_."

Stiles rubbed his eye,

"Could you not just-" Diana waved to cut him off,

"Call Scott. I'll get something of hers from her room." Diana directed marching back off to the room previously occupied by her friend.

The hospital gown would have to do. It had her blood on it, Diana reasoned that it had more of her smell on it because of that than anything else.

By the time Diana had gotten the gown out of the hospital and to Stiles' car the boys were both already sat there, she knocked on Scott's door and he got out letting her in. Diana gave him the gown before attempting the climb because she wanted both hands free.

"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott asked getting back in the car. Stiles nodded his jaw flexing.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt her." Scott assured Stiles. "Not again." He looked to Diana too; the girl was beginning to show the stress she had been under lately. Her appearance a little less bright than it had been her eyes a little less alive.

"Alright just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles directed his friend. Scott did as directed.

Stiles turned the engine over suddenly illuminating Alison.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. The girls came over to Scott's side of the jeep looking into the door.

"What are you doing here? Someone's going to see us."

"I don't care, she is my best friend and we need to find her before they do." Alison said with conviction, Diana nodded moving over so that she was sat behind Stiles in the backseat.

"I can find her before the cops can." Scott insisted. Diana leant forward,

"What about before her father does?" Alison nodded, "I think she's trying to tell us we have a baby hunter on our side boys, I'd let her in." Diana finished, Alison smiled at the other girl, Diana didn't smile back but instead returned to her seat behind Stiles.

"I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's." Alison told them, Diana threw her head back. Great change indeed.

"Search party." Scott told Stiles, Alison shook her head,

"More like a hunting party."

"Get in." Scott said once again letting a girl into the back of the jeep.

Stiles sped off down the road.

"Okay, if she's turning will they actually kill her?" Stiles asked. Alison leant forward between the seats,

"I don't know, they won't tell me anything." She said, Diana nodded, her coven still kept things from her, including some meetings.

"All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here." Diana pulled Alison back to her seat,

"I'm sorry, _Others_? What others?" She demanded,

"How much do you know?" Alison asked carefully, Stiles made an exasperated sound.

"Alison the hunter's daughter meet Diana Preston the Witch. Now what others?!"

Alison looked revolted at the sight of Diana who just rolled her eyes. That was the reaction that she usually got from people when they found out she was a Witch.

"They won't tell me that either." She told Stiles, she never looked away from Diana who just crossed her arms.

"Well, say what you have to say Argent." She huffed,

"You. All this time? Is this why you don't like me?"

Diana flopped her head back,

"Yes, your family have hunted mine and those like me for centuries, we now actually have a ban on overt magic because of your family being in town." Diana said forcing the words out.

Alison looked guilty, her eyes seeking Stiles in the rear view mirror. The boy just shook his head not to press it so Alison didn't.

"Okay, your family's got some serious communication issues to work on. Scott, how we doing there buddy?" Stiles announced over the roar of the wind.

Scott sniffed the air from where he was hung out of the window like a dog,

"Take the next right."

The car peeled round to the right throwing Alison against Diana.

Alison tensed like she expected Diana to shove her off her violently, all she really did however was ease the other girl upright and gently away from her surprising Alison. The girl looked at the red head shocked.

"I'm not a monster you know." Diana told her quietly, Alison nodded slowly.

The Hale House? Really? Diana thought, cursing whatever deity thought it would be a fun idea to lump her in with Scott McCall and his supernatural mess. She had been a Witch for sixteen years for her life, a week away from seventeen and she could safely say that she was never more in danger of things going wrong than she was after bonding with Stiles.

Together the quartet approached the house slowly through the woods. Diana loudly kicking her way through the leaves at the back, a ball of fire in her hand to both warm her and light the way.

"She came here?" Stiles asked turning to the three behind him, "You're sure." Scott nodded,

"This is where the scent leads."

Stiles steeled himself continuing towards the burnt husk covered in police tape.

"Right well has Lydia ever been here?" He asked stopping again. Diana stepped around Scott and Alison stamping forwards, light held aloft.

"Not with me." Alison answered, they looked to Diana.

"Oh year we come here all the time, we pick tarot cards and plan the whole year round Mabon." Diana hissed.

"So no?" Stiles clarified, Diana didn't even answer just looked at him. Stiles nodded,

"No." He slapped his legs in a noncommittal gesture and followed the Witch closer to the house.

 _Sorry for snapping. I hate feeling so useless_. Diana told Stiles a moment later.

Stiles looked like he wanted to say something but didn't.

Instead they looked around, Diana switched to the sight she had shown Stiles and glanced about herself hoping for even the slightest life sign.

Stiles spotted something on the forest floor,

"Whoa, hey, look at this." He said clearly, Diana switched back to her normal sight and hurried over to cast her light on it.

He was holding some kind of wire.

"You see this? I think it's a trip wire." Stiles said showing Alison and Diana. Diana reached over and lifted a part. Nothing happened.

"Stiles?" Scott called.

"Yeah buddy." Stiles answered all of them looking round to see Scott dangling from his foot.

"Next time you see a trip wire." Diana pulled an apologetic face, "Don't trip it."

"That was me, sorry." She admitted.

Alison smirked, they moved closer to get the boy down.

"Wait ,wait, wait, someone's coming." Scott said quietly, Diana froze immediately letting the fire she held in her left hand die.

"Hide." Scott told them, Diana swiftly moving to a large tree a way off, she trusted the wolfs senses, she had after all known the Hales.

It took a second but eventually Stiles joined her pulling Alison along with him. Diana put on her alternate vision and peaked round the trunk to watch the scene.

She could see three souls moving towards the struggling Were and watched with bated breath.

She saw one crouch by Scott and proceeded to talk to him, they were too far away to hear anything properly, they walked away and Diana felt herself un-tense.

When they walked away the three in hiding hurried back to their trapped comrade.

"You okay?" Alison asked, Scott smiled at her,

"Just another life threatening conversation with your dad." He said brightly. Diana smiled.

"Hang on I'll see if I can get you down." She offered.

"No need." He said extending his claws and quickly slicing the rope. Diana lightly applauded when he landed on his feet.

He grinned at the other three and moved towards the house again,

"Comin'?" He nodded his head to the house; Diana smiled at the boy and quickly followed after him once again summoning fire to hold in her left hand. Stiles and Alison took a little longer but followed just the same.

Diana was trying to not be despondent. Trying not to lose hope of finding Lydia but the night hadn't exactly been successful and tonight was supposed to be one of the coldest of the year.

Then there was the thing that robbed a grave last night. Her Uncle had been notified and so Diana had been notified by both Stiles and her Uncle. The later on why coming home on time is such an important deal now there was a potential ghoul about the town.

Diana had told her Uncle that he was being ridiculous and that a ghoul wouldn't come to California as it was too warm. He had just shrugged and left for the office.

Diana approached the school slowly, she was dreading seeing the empty seats and pitying looks. The pitying looks would be the worst, they always were.

She and Alison stuck together all day not surprisingly. Alison seemed to be extra careful around the other more powerful girl.

"Look, just ask what it is that's burning your mind so much would you? I have Chemistry in a few minutes and after three hours of your eyes in my head it's all I can take."

"You are really a Witch?" Alison said quietly. Diana nodded,

"Yes and before you ask human transfiguration is so impossibly hard that I really will never try to turn anyone into a frog. That and the fairy tale have it wrong." She said briskly, Alison smiled,

"So what can you do?" She leant in closer,

"Lot's of things, I can brew potions for clear skin and clean clothes with a spell. It's more than house hold stuff too but I'm not comfortable discussing that with a hunter. Even if you are just a baby hunter." Diana shrugged pulling her books out and moving over to the Chemistry classroom.

Alison nodded following,

"So you could find Lydia?"

"It's complicated, if she was wearing or holding something then yes I could easily find her, I would jst look for the thing she was holding or wearing bigger the better, but as she wasn't I would need to do a full locator spell requiring a map of the area, candles, herbs, chanting the full works."

"So, do that." Alison looked at her like she was dense. Diana rolled her eyes,

"Oh I would love to honey. But since your family moved in there has been a ban on overt magic. Such as locator spells. They literally transport you to the person. How do you think your dad would react if he suddenly saw me appear in the woods just by Lydia?" Diana raised her eyebrows.

"He would burn me Alison; he would tie me to a post and burn me alive." Diana said resolutely.

Diana turned and strode into the chemistry classroom then.

Isaac was already sat down at the wooden desk, his large body fully occupying the space. Diana beamed at him. Then she noticed his eye and pursed her lips. Pulling out her pen she hastily drew a symbol on her right palm.

"Good afternoon." She said brightly taking her seat next to him. He smiled at her leaning into her a little.

"Hey." Diana smirked conspiratorially,

"So, I heard it was you who saw the thing at the grave yard last night. Did you get a good look at it?" She said in her best gossip voice.

Isaac blushed, as Diana laid her hand on his the pain in his cheek fading as the symbol on her palm faded away.

"I didn't see it completely no, I was kinda in the grave." He shrugged. Diana smiled sympathetically,

"Never mind, so long as you are alright." She shrugged flipping open her folder to the last page.

"Yeah." Isaac said softly, doing the same. It didn't last long though as Harris announced that they would be having a pop quiz and to put their things away.

She could hear Stiles whispering to Scott at the back of the class. So could Mr Harris apparently.

"This is a Pop quiz Mr Stilinski, if I hear your voice again I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career."

"Can you do that?" Stiles questioned stupidly. Diana placed her head in her hand with second hand embarrassment.

"There it is again." Mr Harris said happily, "Your voice triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently." Diana looked up to meet Isaac's badly hidden smile, "I'll see you at three for detention."

Diana shook her head returning to her paper.

"You too Mr McCall?" Harris pressed,

"No Sir." He answered.

A minute or two past without further talking, then Jackson suddenly ran out of the class with a nosebleed.

Diana stayed with Isaac after class talking to the quiet boy, he had a nice smile and a soft way about him that made her think that he could never hurt her even if he really wanted to.

"I should go. I've got to write the English homework up some more." Isaac said rubbing the back of his neck after walking Diana to her locker and waiting with her to get her things for the next class.

Diana smiled kindly at the boy,

"Let me know if you want me to go over it again. Like I said the offer still stands." He blushed again and nodded awkwardly moving away from Diana.

She shut her locker and wandered in the direction of Alison's locker. As she approached she saw that some guy was talking to her. Diana looked him over from the distance she was then acting on impulse she reached into her satchel, into her small cloth bag of runes and pulled one out.

"Well shit." She considered the H looking symbol with disapproval. The Hagalaz rune was one of disruption and unavoidable unpleasantness overall not a pleasant symbol to draw when looking at a boy. However, it fit with the sense of unease she got from him.

"Hey Alison." Diana called to the girl snapping her gaze to Diana sending a slightly panicked look her way.

"Di –Diana." Alison beamed; Diana marched closer to the brunette coming to stand by her side.

Frustration crossed the boy's face. Diana plastered her best impression of Lydia on smiling brightly,

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Diana prompted.

"I'm Matt." He said trying to be cool. Diana looked him up and down and smiled politely at him. This time Diana was certain that anger crossed his face.

"Her Aunt, the one who murdered all those people." Diana heard from further down the corridor,

"You certain?" Diana didn't know who they were, "I sit next to her in English." Diana shot them a powerful look causing them to scatter with a giggle.

"Not any more you don't." Diana grumbled not noticing Alison until she heard her locker door slam. She wanted to follow after the girl, the only girl at the high school who knew what she was but she saw Scott's arm reach out and grab her so she didn't follow, instead she just wandered off to the Library to start her free period.

 _You still in detention?_ Diana asked Stiles at five o'clock that afternoon.

 _No, though he kept me there until half four, said it was because of my dad_. Stiles answered, I'm with Scott at the graveyard.

What? Why? Diana wondered picking up her laundry off the floor putting it into the basket on the mezzanine outside her door.

 _New hunters remember_. Stiles answered. _I'm just arriving now_.

 _I'm coming, stay clear of your jeep window_. A minute later saw Diana appearing out of Stiles' jeeps passenger window.

Stiles just grabbed her hand and pulled her over to where he could see Scott through the trees, the tree then huddled behind the gravestone.

Before Alison stood a white haired man. Her grandfather.

Diana gripped at Stiles' harder. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Who's that guy?" Stiles asked Scott.

"Her grandfather, Gerard." He answered. Diana really couldn't breathe. He was here. After all these years he was here. Hatred began to well up within her. It was as if she was back in the English house all over again.

She had to get out of there.

 _I'm going back to the jeep._ She told Stiles before staggering off into the trees.

She managed to get to the blue car, climbing into the passenger seat she put her head between her knees and focused on the last memory she had with her mother.  
They were baking together in the kitchen; apple and blackberry crumble for a dinner that night. They were listening to Fleetwood Mac and laughing. Her mother's long straight red hair, the same shade as her own pulled back from her face in a French braid. Diana remembered her smile, the warmth of her smell. And she was calm again.

Centred by the one woman out of all of her family that she could never see again.


	14. Chapter 14

Diana stayed that way until she heard the boy s loudly making their way towards her. Stiles' arms flailing as he nearly over balanced.

"Ten four A! There's been a ten four A." He called to the girl sat incredibly confused in the passenger of his jeep.

"A what?" She asked pushing her red hair back from her face.

"A dead body was attacked." Scott clarified opening the door beside her. Diana's eyes widened,

"Lydia?"

"We're gonna go find out." Stiles said pulling his lanky frame inside the car. Diana quickly scrambled into the back so Scott could reclaim his seat and together the three pulled off onto the deserted road to try once again to find their friend.

By the time that they pulled up and hid the Jeep it was dark. The trio advancing the rest of the way on foot.

They reached the embankment by the road keeping close to the ground to not be seen finally laying on the inclined ground looking at the scene.

"Is she there?" Diana hissed to Scott.

"What the hell's Lydia doin'?" Stiles asked, Diana thought primarily to himself.

"I don't know." Scott answered mystified. Diana could see the scene fully then, the body and ambulance splattered with blood on the inside.

"It looks like biology met a Jackson Pollock painting." She said disgusted. Stiles shot her a confused look. She shrugged in return; it was the only thing she could compare it to.

"What kept you from doing that? Was it Alison?" Stiles asked Scott softly. Diana was struck with the sudden unprepared feeling that one gets right before a test that they hadn't done anything for.

I really need to look into other creatures. She thought to herself.

"God, I hope so." Scott said not able to tear his eyes away from the ambulance.

"Do you need to get closer?" Diana asked, "Or can you smell her?" Scott smelt the air,

"No I got it." He said looking to the worried pair. Diana wished then that she too could have the enhanced senses of a wolf but thought better of it; she couldn't deal with the emotional pull that the full moon seemed to bring. It was bad enough being a girl.

Stiles caught Scott's shoulder in a tight grip stopping the boy from moving away,

"Just," He began, "I just need you to find her. We both do." He said emotionally, Scott looked into his whiskey coloured eyes so filled with sentiment, "Please just, just find her."

"I will." Scott promised. Diana was thankful in that moment for the dark haired Were finding Lydia would have been near impossible with the embargo on magic.

The boy moved away then leaving the human couple in the sight of the calamity.

Stiles let his head rest against Diana's cardigan covered shoulder,

"If Scott doesn't find her tonight I'm going to break the embargo. I'll not let her die out here." Diana told Stiles. He snapped his gaze to her then.

"Really?" He asked shocked. "What about that; put the coven first thing?"

"I won't let the girl who helped me through my parents deaths die Stiles." She said sharply, then her gaze softened looking to the boy at her shoulder, "And she is my friend, besides, you're like totally in love with her." She mocked in a stereotypical teenage girl voice. It got him to smile a little.

They stayed like that for a little while, just watching the police waiting for Scott to return. That was until Stiles got the great idea to try and get as close as he could.

"Stiles." Diana hissed gripping the back of the boy's shirt as he tried his best to commando crawl closer to the action. Scott was clearly taking too long for the energetic young man. Diana froze she could see what was about to happen and like a car crash in motion she couldn't look away.

Blinding light suddenly shone in their eyes. The Sherriff was stood before them with an exceedingly bright torch in hand.

"Diana?" He announced shaking his head. "He drag you in to this too?" Diana pulled herself to her feet with as much grace as she could muster, she duster herself off and squared her shoulders.

"I want to find Lydia as much as he does Sir, he didn't need to drag me into anything." She said with a confidence that facing down the authority figure in that moment she really did not possess.

He sighed, then he reached over and grasped his sons shoulder steering him back to the group of police officials surrounding the ambulance.

Diana followed knowing that she was probably going to get into trouble with her Aunt and Uncle before the night was over. She stood a little way off from the ambulance really not liking the aura of death that she could feel coming off it in waves; instead she tried to focus on picking the micro leaves off of her long black cardigan. She had gotten changed as soon as she had gotten in from school, her black beat up converses so much more comfortable to wear than her heeled boots, no matter how much better they looked. She had thrown on her boyfriend jeans that she was trying to justify putting in the wash and a slightly wax stained cotton top. She had definitely not imagined that she would be running out of the house that night.

"Lydia?" Diana's attention snapped to Stiles where he stood with his father looking past both him and her. She quickly followed his gaze. Her best friend stood lost and not all there only a few meters away.

"Lydia." Stiles tried again. Diana relaxed her posture like she would around a scared animal.

"Lydia?" She said debating whether approaching would make her run off again.

"LYDIA!" Stiles shouted. That seemed to snap her out of whatever she was under, her eyes instantly meeting Diana's.

"Di?" She whispered, Diana nodded holding out her hand.

"Well," Lydia said loudly, "Isn't anyone going to get me a coat?!" Diana withdrew her hand, her mind racing.

She sprinted back to the ambulance, using her upmost will to not look at the blood, and withdrew the large blanket that was always kept in the compartment by the door.

Diana hurried back to her freezing friend unfurling the large woollen item. Stiles pulled at his father's coat in shock finally falling to the floor.

"You gave us quite the scare there chick." Diana softly admonished as she encased Lydia in the blanket rubbing her back and arms the best she could.

"Diana." Lydia's teeth chattered too much for any other conversation.

"No, you're right. It's always good to keep people on their toes." She nodded sagely like Lydia had just imparted one of the most erudite piece of advice she had ever heard.

The paramedics scooped her up then bundling her into one of the squad cars with the heater on full blast.

Lydia's hand shot out last second and grabbed Diana dragging the girl along with her. It was how Diana ended up in the back of the police car holding her best friend close to her.

"You know, this is the," Diana thought for a second, "Third time that I have been in the back of a police car." Lydia didn't respond but Diana thought that giving her something normal to think about was good, would take her mind off of whatever it was on.

"My last time was the time a deputy picked me up for drinking with some of the Lacrosse team. But you already knew that. My second time however, you don't know about." Diana rubbed Lydia's arm soothingly.

"I had been in this country for about three months and decided that was enough. I made it all the way to the interstate by the time they found me. A twelve year old child walking along the motorway, well it rings bells. Especially at night." Diana chuckled slightly, "Looking back on it now I cannot believe how lucky I was."

"How long were you gone?" Lydia asked quietly. Diana smiled.

"About a day, I think the actual figure is something like twenty hours." Diana shrugged.

Lydia laughed softly. Diana smiled again and picked a leaf from Lydia's wild hair.

The police took them back to the hospital to Lydia's waiting Mother and Father whom Diana handed Lydia over to happily. Their looks of relief making her feel a whole in her life more keenly.

She turned to leave only to startle. Face to face with an annoyed Heather Preston was not something that Diana had on her bucket list and it was something she was not going to add in a hurry.

To her great surprise however Heather scooped her up in such a maternal feeling hug that Diana fell into her arms and began to softly cry,

"You never do that again." Heather croaked, she too was crying. "You are so grounded." Diana laughed,

"I thought I might be. But hey, automatic A in Econ." She laughed wetly. Heather laughed too pulling away from her niece to cradle her face wiping tears from the freckled cheeks.

"Diana." Lydia's mother called from behind the young girl. She looked round at the older well-dressed woman.

"Yeah." Diana could see the nurses guiding Lydia to an exam room; she was in for a long night of tests Diana was sure of it.

"Thank you." Mrs Martin said heavily. "For everything." Diana nodded quickly with a sniff. She knew that the other woman didn't just mean for tonight, no, she meant for finding her the first time and for staying in the hospital to help.

She watched the red hair of Lydia's mother walk round the corner after her only child.

"I need to learn healing spells, like a lot of them and EMT stuff. Things that could help if things like this happen again, because I have a very strong feeling that they might. So do the cards." Diana blurted to her Aunt who still had a loose hold on her.

Heather nodded grimly.

"I thought you might. I'll find the right books and get you them." Diana opened her mouth to protest, "But not tonight." Heather held up her hand silencing her ward.

"No, tonight I need a glass of wine and a break." Heather confirmed steering Diana out into the parking lot towards their car.

 _You ok? Is Lydia?_ Stiles voice pestered in her head.

 _Both fine. I'm grounded but it's not too bad. Lydia is with her parents and the doctor's looking her over now_. Diana answered tiredly. The events of the past day catching up to her, overcome with exhaustion she rested her head back against the headrest of the passenger seat in her Aunt's Lexus.

Then she remembered the events of the day.

"Gerard Argent is in town." Diana said quietly.

"What?!" Heather screeched nearly driving off of the road. Diana's hands shot out grabbing the door and her seat surprised at the sudden movement.

"I saw him at Alison's Aunts funeral." Diana said carefully. Heather calmed herself.

"Did he see you?" She demanded. "Are you certain it was him?" Diana nodded but that wasn't enough.

"Did he see you?!" Heather demanded loudly.

"No." Diana blurted back.

"You sure?" Heather demanded her voice dripping with worry.

"I'm sure. As soon as I could see it was him I ran." Diana looked at the panicked face of her Aunt.

"Get my phone from my handbag and get up the group chat, now." She directed forcefully, Diana fumbled in her footwell pulling out the bright pink iPhone from the dark leather hand bag.

"Type what I tell you. Exactly what I tell you." Heather commanded not expecting an answer.

[To Book Club, from Heather]

[Argent Sr is in town. Total lockdown advised. Emergency meeting tonight. Wine provided.]

Was the final message. It was brief, but it said all it needed to. Anything else would be discussed later that night.

Diana pressed send and within minutes all the twenty strong Coven had seen it but not responded.

"You're coming to this one tonight Diana. You need to tell us that you saw him. All that you saw."

Heather said, in that moment she wasn't Diana's Aunt, she was her Uncle's wife, leader of the coven, mother of many.

Diana nodded dumbly. She was very rarely allowed to a coven meeting, the members had to be over eighteen usually. There were a few exceptions, orphans and the like who needed the guidance but primarily the upbringing and teaching of a young Witch was done by the Mother or in Diana's case the Aunt.

She had met the members before, one of the nurses on the night staff at the hospital was one of them, so was the owner of the local independent diner, they were members of everyday society too but tonight they would be worried women all gathered together to hear Diana speak foreboding news about the man who killed her parents.


	15. Chapter 15

Diana sat awkwardly in the large red leather wing backed arm chair in the large living room waiting for the gathered women to arrange themselves and stop talking. The side board was laden with a chilled bottle of white and three opened (and empty) bottles of red wine from the house's cellar.

Diana herself having taken a swig before the rest had arrived sat on her hands watching. She didn't have to wait much longer, her Aunt came back in holding a freshly opened bottle of red, she topped up a few people before pouring a very healthy measure into her own glass and came to stand by Diana.

"Ladies." She called once; the room immediately fell to order. They all took a seat on the many sofas and chairs scattered around the central coffee table.

"What's going on Heather?" An older middle aged woman with dark greying hair asked. Her eyes flickering to Diana.

"Diana." Heather prompted. Diana slowly stood and nervously wrung her hands. She took a steadying breath, focused on the framed picture of her Uncle and Mother at the back of the room and spoke.

"Today I visited the funeral of Kate Argent." Confused looks crossed many of their faces, anger crossed the others. "I have been getting closer to their youngest Alison in an effort to learn more about them so that we might be better prepared."

"Heather! You condone this?!" The woman from before snapped at her Aunt. Heather silenced her with a fierce look.

"Carry on Diana." Heather commanded. The blonde looking more and more like a warrior in her niece's eyes.

"I stayed out of sight and can identify the attendees. One in particular. I'll never forget his face." Diana steeled herself and looked into each of the women's eyes, she held their rapt attention.

"Gerard Argent."

A hiss went up in the room, several jumping to their feet and shouting. Others silent and pale.

Diana turned and pulled the glass from her Aunt's hand, taking a large gulp of the fortifying liquid.

Heather quickly took the wine back from her but her harsh look had softened to one of understanding.

"Ladies." Once again she called the room to order.

 _You ok? You feel like you're really nervous_. Stiles asked.

 _I've just told the coven about Gerard_.

 _How'd that go?_ Stiles asked his concern growing.

 _Six people are shouting about how this is my fault and the others look like they want to grab their families and run_. Diana answered. _So about as well as I expected it to_.

 _Christ_. Stiles swore.

"What Diana saw is not her fault. He is here because of his family, not ours." Heather said firmly, her hand coming to rest on Diana's shoulder.

"If you want to take your family and run then you are always free to do so, but know this, we have always been and will always be stronger together."

Diana rubbed her cheek guilt gnawing at her insides.

"Well of course she brought him here Heather." The vocal woman being the middle aged greying lady. "She found that Martin girl with a spell. Despite the embargo." She spat at Diana.

Diana shot to her feet at the insult.

"How dare you." Diana said her voice like poison, "All I have ever done is try to protect this Coven, you think I wouldn't let Lydia be found by the police? You think I would willingly betray you to the hunters is that it? To the man who took my mother from me?!" Diana demanded loudly. The other woman stood up in return.

"You're so chummy with the daughter, who's to say you're not passing her information about us? You wouldn't be the first in your family to help a hunter." She accused. Diana balked, her blood rising.

"You think…" Diana spluttered. Her eyes flashed and Diana could see fear behind the older woman's eyes.

"Beverly." Heather said trying to diffuse the now fast becoming source of entertainment.

"Gerard stole your mother not just from you girl. He took her from us too." Beverly spat. Diana shook with rage now,

"He didn't just take my mother from me _Beverly_. He stole her legacy."

Beverly scoffed,

"You were her Legacy. And may I say; some legacy." Beverly gestured to Diana. "You may look like her dear, but you aren't half the Witch your mother was. Finally the Preston line runs out."

"I remember you now." Diana scoffed a smirk growing on her face, "You're the Martin's neighbour. Neighbourhood watch wasn't it?"

"Wasn't what?" Beverly asked shocked by the sudden tone change.

"Wasn't it the only thing you can actually control? I see now," Diana looked around the room, "You resent the Preston's control of the area." Diana lent in to the older woman, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that the power in the Preston line is gone just because it ends in me and _don't_ think that you can try to use this to wrestle control from my Aunt. She is just as much Preston as I am."

Beverly looked about the room too. She saw the annoyed glares of her fellow Witches and sat down quietly a sheepish look on her face now.

Diana smirked again retaking her seat in the armchair crossing her legs in satisfaction.

"I am recommending that we extend the embargo on magic until Gerard and his _people_ leave our town. If you really have to cast larger spells please notify the coven before you do and only use them if _absolutely_ necessary." Heather said regaining control of the room from her niece.

This was met with grumbling but signs of acquiescence.

"Thank you for coming so soon ladies. There is nothing else that I wish to discuss."

The women milled about a little while longer finishing their wine or sodas before leaving, catching up on how a tea or potion did or recommending a spell for a small problem. Diana and her Aunt remained where they were, a few of the women coming up to Heather and chatting, Diana mainly went ignored.

She stood to leave having grown bored of the situation and wanting to go to bed.  
Diana froze; they had all turned to look at her, their gazes fixed upon her their stares expectant. She acted on instinct, it had been doing alright so far why not push it that little bit further.

"I call this emergency meeting of the Beacon Hills Coven to a close." She bowed a little then looked to her Aunt. Heather was radiating pride.

 _I think I just closed a Coven meeting_. She buzzed to Stiles.

 _What? Seriously?_ He replied equally as excited.

Diana watched the congregated women set down their glasses on the coffee table and file orderly towards the large mirror by the living room door. One by one they stepped calmly onto the glass and vanished.

 _Pretty sure yeah_. Diana laughed to him.

Heather rested her hand on Diana's right shoulder coming to stand before the girl. She beamed, tears welling in her yes.

"It was like looking at your Mother again." She said thickly. Diana stared wide eyed,

"This is your inheritance and you just showed that you are capable. You have to wait until you're twenty one however, but it will be yours. Preston's are leaders." Heather told her, Diana nodded not able to form words.

"Am I still grounded?" She hedged. Heather laughed,

"Oh yeah, so grounded still." She looked away from the red haired girl then, "Now, go to bed, it's late."

Diana grinned cheekily, kissed her Aunt's cheek and scarpered out of the room.

Diana herself having taken a swig before the rest had arrived sat on her hands watching. She didn't have to wait much longer, her Aunt came back in holding a freshly opened bottle of red, she topped up a few people before pouring a very healthy measure into her own glass and came to stand by Diana.

"Ladies." She called once; the room immediately fell to order. They all took a seat on the many sofas and chairs scattered around the central coffee table.

"What's going on Heather?" An older middle aged woman with dark greying hair asked. Her eyes flickering to Diana.

"Diana." Heather prompted. Diana slowly stood and nervously wrung her hands. She took a steadying breath, focused on the framed picture of her Uncle and Mother at the back of the room and spoke.

"Today I visited the funeral of Kate Argent." Confused looks crossed many of their faces, anger crossed the others. "I have been getting closer to their youngest Alison in an effort to learn more about them so that we might be better prepared."

"Heather! You condone this?!" The woman from before snapped at her Aunt. Heather silenced her with a fierce look.

"Carry on Diana." Heather commanded. The blonde looking more and more like a warrior in her niece's eyes.

"I stayed out of sight and can identify the attendees. One in particular. I'll never forget his face." Diana steeled herself and looked into each of the women's eyes, she held their rapt attention.

"Gerard Argent."

A hiss went up in the room, several jumping to their feet and shouting. Others silent and pale.

Diana turned and pulled the glass from her Aunt's hand, taking a large gulp of the fortifying liquid.

Heather quickly took the wine back from her but her harsh look had softened to one of understanding.

"Ladies." Once again she called the room to order.

 _You ok? You feel like you're really nervous_. Stiles asked.

 _I've just told the coven about Gerard_.

 _How'd that go?_ Stiles asked his concern growing.

 _Six people are shouting about how this is my fault and the others look like they want to grab their families and run_. Diana answered. _So about as well as I expected it to_.

 _Christ_. Stiles swore.

"What Diana saw is not her fault. He is here because of his family, not ours." Heather said firmly, her hand coming to rest on Diana's shoulder.

"If you want to take your family and run then you are always free to do so, but know this, we have always been and will always be stronger together."

Diana rubbed her cheek guilt gnawing at her insides.

"Well of course she brought him here Heather." The vocal woman being the middle aged greying lady. "She found that Martin girl with a spell. Despite the embargo." She spat at Diana.

Diana shot to her feet at the insult.

"How dare you." Diana said her voice like poison, "All I have ever done is try to protect this Coven, you think I wouldn't let Lydia be found by the police? You think I would willingly betray you to the hunters is that it? To the man who took my mother from me?!" Diana demanded loudly. The other woman stood up in return.

"You're so chummy with the daughter, who's to say you're not passing her information about us? You wouldn't be the first in your family to help a hunter." She accused. Diana balked, her blood rising.

"You think…" Diana spluttered. Her eyes flashed and Diana could see fear behind the older woman's eyes.

"Beverly." Heather said trying to diffuse the now fast becoming source of entertainment.

"Gerard stole your mother not just from you girl. He took her from us too." Beverly spat. Diana shook with rage now,

"He didn't just take my mother from me _Beverly_. He stole her legacy."

Beverly scoffed,

"You were her Legacy. And may I say; some legacy." Beverly gestured to Diana. "You may look like her dear, but you aren't half the Witch your mother was. Finally the Preston line runs out."

"I remember you now." Diana scoffed a smirk growing on her face, "You're the Martin's neighbour. Neighbourhood watch wasn't it?"

"Wasn't what?" Beverly asked shocked by the sudden tone change.

"Wasn't it the only thing you can actually control? I see now," Diana looked around the room, "You resent the Preston's control of the area." Diana lent in to the older woman, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that the power in the Preston line is gone just because it ends in me and _don't_ think that you can try to use this to wrestle control from my Aunt. She is just as much Preston as I am."

Beverly looked about the room too. She saw the annoyed glares of her fellow Witches and sat down quietly a sheepish look on her face now.

Diana smirked again retaking her seat in the armchair crossing her legs in satisfaction.

"I am recommending that we extend the embargo on magic until Gerard and his _people_ leave our town. If you really have to cast larger spells please notify the coven before you do and only use them if _absolutely_ necessary." Heather said regaining control of the room from her niece.

This was met with grumbling but signs of acquiescence.

"Thank you for coming so soon ladies. There is nothing else that I wish to discuss."

The women milled about a little while longer finishing their wine or sodas before leaving, catching up on how a tea or potion did or recommending a spell for a small problem. Diana and her Aunt remained where they were, a few of the women coming up to Heather and chatting, Diana mainly went ignored.

She stood to leave having grown bored of the situation and wanting to go to bed.  
Diana froze; they had all turned to look at her, their gazes fixed upon her their stares expectant. She acted on instinct, it had been doing alright so far why not push it that little bit further.

"I call this emergency meeting of the Beacon Hills Coven to a close." She bowed a little then looked to her Aunt. Heather was radiating pride.

 _I think I just closed a Coven meeting_. She buzzed to Stiles.

 _What? Seriously?_ He replied equally as excited.

Diana watched the congregated women set down their glasses on the coffee table and file orderly towards the large mirror by the living room door. One by one they stepped calmly onto the glass and vanished.

 _Pretty sure yeah_. Diana laughed to him.

Heather rested her hand on Diana's right shoulder coming to stand before the girl. She beamed, tears welling in her yes.

"It was like looking at your Mother again." She said thickly. Diana stared wide eyed,

"This is your inheritance and you just showed that you are capable. You have to wait until you're twenty one however, but it will be yours. Preston's are leaders." Heather told her, Diana nodded not able to form words.

"Am I still grounded?" She hedged. Heather laughed,

"Oh yeah, so grounded still." She looked away from the red haired girl then, "Now, go to bed, it's late."

Diana grinned cheekily, kissed her Aunt's cheek and scarpered out of the room.

Diana was suspicious. The cards had told her a great change was coming, but nothing else. It was why she disliked the cards as a way of telling, they never gave a clear answer. She had tried to other methods, the runes telling her the same thing as the cards. Even her crystal ball gave nothing up.

Eventually she accepted the fact that she would not be told anything else but to keep in mind what she had already been told. That wasn't without a fight however. She had downed three shots of Gin to help her reach a trance state by which she might glimpse more of the meaning behind the cards, but even with a helping hand from the Gin she couldn't reach a trance state.

Diana wrenched the lace curtain dividing her from her ancestors back from the mirror casting it over the right hand side of the frame in frustration.

"Diana?" Her grandmother said confused at her sudden appearance. "What's wrong?"

"I can't see!" She lamented with a growl of frustration.

"See? As in…"

"As in the sight! The fucking _cards_ told me change was upon us but they won't tell me anything else! Every god damn time I pull from the deck it's the same three cards staring back at me. It's like they're mocking me, why are they mocking me?"

Her grandmother sighed.

"I was a charmer, stay here; I'll be back with a diviner." Her grandmother's figure faded into the background.

Diana threw her arms aloft with frustration throwing her onto the floor she sat cross legged waiting.

She listened to the old house settle around her, it was totally empty again. Simon was at a late meeting and Heather was pulling another night shift. Neither liked to be separated but they liked it even less when one was in the house without each other.

Fox on the Run burst into the silence of her room. Stiles. It was the ringtone that she had for him. She thought it was the most fitting song for him. Gypsy was his for her on his phone, the only one with a personalised ring tone.

She scrambled for it picking up the line and pressing it to her ear.

"Hey Stiles." She looked back to the still empty mirror, "You need something?"

"Yeah, could you let me in." Diana smiled, he must have picked up on her frustration through the bond. It had been three months now and the bond had matured a lot. So much so that they were easily picking up the others emotions.

Diana waved her hand; confident that her magic had opened the door.

"Yeah it's still not open." Stiles said. Diana frowned.

"Heather had probably cast it to not let me open it." She sighed, "To stop me from leaving the house."

"You got a window?" Stiles said, Diana moved round her bed to the window seat, she manually lifted the panel and waved her arm out the side of the house.

"I'm waving out of it now."

"I see you, hang on." He hung up, Diana watched as it took the boy ten minutes to scale the side of the stone house by the trellis battling round and being helped by the wisteria that grew on it.

Diana reached out her hand grasping his and pulling him in the rest of the way. She overestimated his weight and her strength however and somehow managed to pull him on top of her.

She burst into laughter at the predicament. Stiles hovered in between her legs, his arms either side of her head blushing like mad.

Gently she pushed him off of her onto the thick beige carpet.

"What are you doing here Stiles?" She asked turning her head to look at him lying like her on the floor.

"You seemed frustrated." He shrugged, "Thought I could help."

Diana rolled her eyes,

"In other words the full moon is in two days and you've prepared so much that you're now bored."

Stiles looked a little guilty.

"Yeah." He admitted. Diana shook her head pulling herself up and back to the mirror.

Stiles then took in the state of her room. Rune stones scattered all over her floor, cards strewn over her bed as if they were thrown in anger and several large candles on her vanity by her little mirror.

"You ok?" He asked, Diana rubbed her face with both hands.

"No." She snapped, "I'm not." She gestured to the Tarot cards on her bed. "I got the urge to pull from the deck just before Lydia disappeared and ever since then I have only been able to pull the same three cards, even the runes say the same thing. I can't cast any divination spells; I can't even enter a trance for one of the easy ones. Nothing." Diana sat heavily before the mirror in the same position as before, only now her hands were covering her face.

Stiles swallowed heavily. He got the feeling although he didn't understand it really, that this was big shit.

"You won't be able to see anything different until after the full moon. Or after the great change occurs."

"That's great Stiles, how did you get to know so much in two seconds?" Diana snapped.

"Umm, Diana." Stiles fumbled. "It wasn't me."

Diana's head shot up from her hands. A turn of the century Witch faced her in the mirror. A very curt look on her face as she considered Diana.

Diana groaned flopping back against the bed. Stiles moved round to sit beside her.

"Stiles, meet Aunt Lucinda. Also known as the single most disapproving member of my family." Diana said mockingly.

"Do you want my help or not?" Lucinda sassed. Diana rolled her eyes.

"Depends what you want in return." Diana sassed in return.

"No more of that 'Rock' music. We can hear it in here the volume that you play it." Lucinda said pursing her lips trying to look dignified.

"No." Diana said leaning forwards pulling the curtain back across the glass. It twitched wildly in response. Diana leant back to the bed again, Stiles leaning against the bed post next to her.

"So I take it not all of your family is so much fun." Stiles exhaled. Diana smirked,

"Nope. You really get a flavour for the eras." Diana tipped her chin to the sloped ceiling. A beat of silence dripped between the pair.

"I can't shake the feeling something's about to happen. Something big."

"How big?"

Diana mimed and explosion.

"Big enough to blow a hole in reality big." She said forlornly. "I just can't quite figure out what it is."

"You'd tell me if you found out though right?" Stiles asked worried. Diana just laughed in response.

"Of course. I can't have you getting hurt."

Stiles flopped back against the bedpost in relief.

"I managed to get a chain for Scott's moon today." Stiles opened, Diana looked at the boy then. He was his usual self, dressed in a flannel shirt over a T with jeans and a pair of sneakers but something was off, he was playing with his hands as if he couldn't bring himself to say something.

"That's great. Now spit it out."

"You know just once, I wish I could tell you something without you forcing it out of me." Stiles groused. Diana smiled. Stiles sat there for a second,

"Do you like Isaac?" He blurted. Diana looked at him puzzled.

"Sure. He's great." Diana said still wondering what he was getting at. Stiles blushed and shook his head.

"No, I mean. Do you, you know, _like_ him." Stiles said again trying to make his meaning clear.

"Oh." Diana said suddenly realising the actual question.

Stiles met her eyes then, his whiskey eyes betraying the emotion that he felt.

Diana weighed it up in her mind, her slipper suddenly becoming fascinating. She shrugged.

"I've never really thought about him that way. Why?"

Stiles sighed whether in relief or frustration Diana was not certain. Deciding she suddenly needed tea she stood going to her wall of shelves on the left hand side of her bedroom door where at chest height there was a tiny cupboard built into the shelf height, opening it and with a precision that comes from practice pulled out a soda can sizes jar. It was full of dried leaves.

"What's that?" Stiles asked watching her every move. Diana smiled down at him,

"Tea. Well specifically Russian Caravan tea." She lifted out a small silver jam spoon and metal mesh ball on a chain and took all of them to her desk where a large re-usable Starbucks coffee cup was.

"Aqua." She spoke into the empty cup. Stiles got to his feet amazed at the casual use of magic. The cup filled from the bottom up with crystal clear water.

"Calor in aqua." She commanded, the water beginning to steam she set it down on the white wooden desk. Diana casually opened the jar then set that down on the desk next to the hot water. Stiles watched from her shoulder as she used the flat based spoon to scoop out some of the dried leaves that reeked of smoke and put them into the metal ball.

"What is that?" Stiles backed away asking again. "It stinks."

"Smoked tea. It has the brilliant ability to taste like a log fire in Autumn." Diana beamed. She loved that tea was a part of magic, the little ritual around the brewing of the leaves and the instruments all reminiscent of magical processes.

She offered it to Stiles who hesitantly took a sip looking to Diana a couple of times.

"Holy crap." Stiles exclaimed swallowing the liquid. His eyes widened. Diana nodded excited that he understood. "It does!"

"You want one?" Diana offered as Stiles returned to looking nervous. He quietly pushed some of the Tarot cards out of the way on her bed and sat facing her.

This time if he wanted to say something she wouldn't rush him. She didn't have to wait long.

"When we were looking at that ambulance the other night," He paused his hands pressing his fingers in repeatedly trying to click them, "I kept thinking, what if it was you."

"What did you think would happen Stiles?" Diana prompted.

"Well at first I thought it was ridiculous, you're you. You don't need anyone. But then I thought about the hunters and what they would do to you."

Diana hummed. Stiles' gaze shot to hers then,

"I don't want you to go missing is I think what I'm trying to say." Diana nodded absorbing the information.

"I don't need _nobody_ Stiles. I need you." Diana wanted to say, instead she swirled her tea and stared into the depths.

A pregnant pause seemed to rest between them then, Stiles began to twitch under her non responsiveness.

"You heard from Lydia?" He asked finally.

"There it is." Diana mumbled into her dark smoky hot drink.

"She's fine. Can't remember a thing; called earlier today." Diana left out the part about the loosing nine pounds; she didn't think that detail was worth sharing with the boy.

"You heard from Derek?" Diana shot back, Stiles nodded rapidly,

"Yeah he said there was an Omega wolf looking for the Alpha and that was the thing mutilating the bodies."

"He's going to start to build a pack, it's understandable." Diana nodded sagely finishing her tea.

"He is?" Stiles gaped at her. Diana shot him a disbelieving look and reached over to flick his forehead playfully.

"Yes. Wolves are stronger in a pack." Diana explained. Stiles looked puzzled,

"Then what about Scott? He's not got any other little wolf friends. Well, other than Derek."

" _We_ are his pack." Diana shot back with a laugh. Stiles raised his eyebrows at her pointing at himself.

"You, me, Lydia, Alison." Diana waved her hand rolling her wrist.

Stiles stood, rubbed his head and allowed his gaze to wander round the room. It settled on an old looking book on her window seat. The metal clasps keeping it sealed.

"What's that?" He picked it up carefully. Diana moved to his side,

"Oh, that. Just old medical spells I thought I'd learn. Got a feeling that us hurting ourselves will become a somewhat regular occurrence." She explained.

"You need someone to practice these on?" Stiles said as if he was offering himself as her Guinee pig. Diana smiled tightly at him,

"Sure, but not tonight. It's late; you should probably be getting home." Stiles checked his phone, the time being half past eleven he nodded.

Diana took the book back from him setting it and her cup on her desk. Stiles dangled his leg out of the open window looking back at Diana.

"Don't cut me out okay?" Stiles said, Diana didn't say anything just tightly smiled at the boy again. Stiles knew that was a good as he was going to get and lowered himself back on to the trellis commencing the climb back to the ground.

Diana closed the window sadly completely missing the boy stood staring at her from the lawn.

Stiles watched her pretty face morph into sadness by the light of the nearly full moon. He waved but it went ignored.

"Diana." He whispered for a reason unknown to himself, his chest filling with such a heavy sorrow that he hadn't felt since the passing of his mother. Shaking his head he ran back to the end of the drive where he had left his Jeep out of sight of the house.


	16. Chapter 16

Diana was furious. She didn't know what the hell Stiles had done but so far today she had arrived with Lydia and Alison full expecting to be the supportive friend only to have the Lacrosse team all jeer at her about being kinky and liking chains. Lydia who usually was the first to protect Diana had shrunk back not wanting to court controversy more that she was already doing. So that left Diana with one option. Find Stiles.

 _Stop avoiding me Stiles_.

 _I'm kinda dealing with something here Di_. Stiles shot back.

 _Like what?_ She asked scornfully.

 _Like Isaac being arrested_. That shut her up. Her anger faded rapidly being replaced by concern.

 _Oh sure. You're worried about the boy who could be a werewolf but not me_. Stiles groused, he had unconsciously sent that to Diana and she was momentarily floored.

Lydia looked at her stunned expression concerned and looped her arm in Diana's.

"Don't listen to them. It's probably nothing." She assured quietly. Diana snapped back to the corridor she was in and nodded.

"At least it takes a little pressure off of you though." Diana smiled at her smaller friend. Lydia blushed a little.

"Yeah the freak who goes missing for days and the kinky one." Lydia laughed, "What a pair we make." Diana laughed quietly.

The day was normal as far as normal can be when you have a teenage boy in your head. Diana herself chose to focus on the lessons and her friend than the goings on of Scott and Stiles, she had tried texting Isaac but she didn't get an answer.

But when the boys deliberately got sent to the Principles office she snapped.

 _Alright what's going on?_

 _If Isaac turns in the sheriff's office then my dad could be in danger. We need to make sure that we can get him out._ Stiles answered immediately.

 _Then call Derek! It's his wolf child, his problem._ Diana shot back rolling her eyes. To her it was obvious as to what to do next.

 _Busted._ Diana rolled her eyes at the chemistry book before her.

 _What's your dad gonna do?_ She sassed. She could feel the smirk that Stiles was trying to hide at her comment and smirked herself. Lydia had given up trying to theorise why Diana had seemingly suddenly gone mental. She just accepted that her British friend was a little strange and sat next to her anyway.

Fear flooded the bond.

 _What's happened?_ Diana pressed controlling her face this time.

 _You're really not gonna like this._ Stiles said.

 _Tell me!_ Diana insisted.

 _Gerard's the principle._

The floor fell out from underneath her. This wasn't possible, there had to be checks, controls, he would need qualifications.

 _Diana?_  
Suddenly Diana couldn't breathe. The world was spinning. Her hands splayed out on the desk trying to ground herself. Then it was gone.

Stiles could feel her panic, her fear. Then nothing. Nothing, scared him more than the intensity of her previous emotions.

"Stiles?!" Scott called but his friend was gone tearing back to the chemistry classroom that he had been sent out of.

The sight that greeted him made his blood run cold.

Diana was sprawled on the floor, her head being cradled by Lydia as she smoothed the auburn hair back from her pale face.

Stiles breathed out a breath of relief as he saw her chest rise and fall. He silently trudged back to the principal's office. Both Scott and Gerard were where he left them stunned at the other boy's actions. Wordlessly he ushered the two teens into the office closing the door behind them.

Diana woke up on the paper covered bed of the nurse's office with a pounding headache and a sense of dread. She held her head for a second as the events of the day flooded back to her. Was this the great change? Was this what she was waiting for?

Diana let out a groan of frustration and pain swinging her legs down from the high bench. She opened her eyes slowly.

"Don't do that again please." Lydia greeted her, a frown covering her pale face. Diana cracked a smile.

"I'll try." She looked at the girl sat of the blue plastic chair then. She was upset about something.

"You okay?" Diana prompted. Lydia smiled tightly,

"Jackson." She shrugged. Diana nodded but that shot pain behind her eyes so she froze clutching at her head again.

"How long was I out?" Diana asked looking around carefully for a clock.

"About two hours, the schools finished by the way, has for half an hour." Lydia replied hugging her jacket a little tighter.

Diana groaned again.

 _Stiles?_ She reached out painfully. She reached out for Lydia physically and her best friend shot forward to help the other girl stand.

"Should you be moving? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Lydia fluttered concerned.

"No, I will be fine. I just need to go home." Diana insisted, if she was feeling like this from fainting then the Argent had clearly been by and done a test on her of some kind. The reality of someone testing her magical capability when she was asleep was too disturbing to dwell on so when Stiles' voice entered her head she was grateful for the distraction.

 _Diana? You're back. Where are you? You okay?_

Diana stood and collected her bag and jacket.

 _You still here?_

 _Detention._ Stiles replied. 

_Could you drive me home? I need to talk to you_. Diana asked. She pulled out her phone, four missed calls from Stiles and seven texts asking if she was alright.

Yeah, I get out in half an hour if you can wait? Stiles agreed readily. Relief flushed her system; her partner was by her side. Now she could focus.

"I can take you home now if you want?" Lydia offered. Diana fixed her with a grateful look. She had hitched a ride in with the girl that morning as a way of showing support but now she just wanted to be alone with the one person in the whole world that was swiftly becoming her home.

"Stiles offered to run me home. I need to work on the English project with him tonight so…" Diana explained letting her sentence hang in the conversation. Lydia nodded understandingly her eyes sad. Diana gripped her hand drawing the girls gaze back to her.

"We will have a sleepover like old times soon?" Lydia brightened in response nodding her head as they exited the small medical room.

 _I'm going to wait outside your room. Where are you?_ Diana asked Stiles. Panic shot through the bond.

 _No don't, its detention with Gerard I'll meet you by the jeep._

 _Good idea._ Diana acknowledged.

Diana headed towards the car park moving slowly due to the ache that her body was currently trying to fight. She eventually made it out to the blue jeep and leant against the passenger side door.

She tilted her head back and rested her eyes savouring the late afternoon sun.

"Di." Stiles voice broke through her brain fog. Had half an hour passed so swiftly? She blinked open her eyes. The boy before her was close. Real close. Too close.

"Stiles." She answered, she could see the lighter flecks in his eyes at this distance. "Personal space?"

He stepped back with a scoff,

"Where was that rule when you were in my lap the other week?" He moved over to the driver's side and hopped in Diana following his actions.

"That was different; you were in your own head then." She argued, Stiles just shook his head jokingly,

"Nu-ugh. It's a double standard that's what it is." He jokingly sassed putting the jeep in drive and pulling out of the parking lot.

Diana laughed in reply settling into the worn leather of the Jeep's seat.

Later they lay sprawled over Diana's bed, both their legs hanging off either side their heads next to each other in the middle.

"What happened today?" Stiles asked quietly. They were both exhausted.

Diana cracked an eye open and turned her head to his.

"You told me the man who killed my family is now running my school and I panicked so much I fainted. Then I woke up with a headache so he obviously came into the room while I was out and did something."

"Oh." Was all Stiles responded with. "You think we'll ever get a normal day?" He mused.

"No." Diana sighed, "At this point I'd settle for not life threatening." Stiles barked a laugh making Diana crack a smile returning to look at the sloped ceiling over her bed.

"You know, this may not be as cool I first thought." Stiles said carefully. Diana nodded,

"I thought it was amazing when I first started to develop _powers_ , as it were, but now, I can only protect you." She reached up and with her right hand began to mess with his hair.

Stiles' eyes began to close under the gentle caress.

"My mom used to do that." He said sadly. Diana's hand shot away from his head but he caught it bringing it back to his head.

"I didn't mean stop." He said, Diana moved her head to touch his temple with hers. It was this gentle comfort that made her value the boy next to her, she had known so many posturing toxically masculine idiots that to have Stiles with her was refreshing.

 _But he's not actually with you, is he? He still loves Lydia_. Diana reminded herself.

"How's your head?" Stiles asked ignoring the stab of pain that her thoughts had caused him. She didn't even realise that she had broadcast that one.

"It's better, after a Witch test by a hunter home and familiar is always so good. Like a warm bath after a really tough gym session." Diana explained.

"What did he do?" Stiles asked observing the moving pattern above the bed with a rare focus.

"What we do to our children to identify their talent area. But as he has no ability himself it's clumsy. Think of it like trying to do surgery with a pocket knife." Diana explained as best she could.

Stiles winced, "Ouch."

"Yeah, he probably wanted to know the extent of my powers, but he can't. Not anymore." Diana said smugly.

"What?" Stiles was confused. "Why can't he?"

"You." Diana said happily, "I did some reading the other night, turns out you make me more powerful. The whole feminine protection thing, like when mothers go crazy protecting their babies, I have that for you apparently."

Stiles sat up and looked round at the still horizontal girl,

"Seriously?"

She nodded in reply,

"Best bit is it's totally undetectable because you're so painfully human." Stiles smiled at her and returned to his previous position.

"Okay, that's totally cool." Diana chuckled at his seemingly never ending enthusiasm. She waved her hand above her head and the record player by the 'family mirror' sprung to life dropping the needle on Marina and the Diamonds filling the empty air with music.

"Art is how we decorate space; music is how we decorate time." She mused a few songs later. Stiles turned his head to look into her eyes,

"Who said that?"

"No idea." She shrugged. Stiles grinned at her. She grinned back.

"What are we going to do about Isaac?" Stiles asked her, Diana shrugged.

"My only plan for tonight is getting a head start on my homework and going to bed." She answered honestly.

"C'mon? Really? We need you. You're like the biggest gun we have right now." Stiles moaned. Diana smiled and shook her head.

"You'll be fine. Don't need me getting in the way." She reasoned.

"But we do! Please, get in the way!" Stiles said emphatically.

"Call me if you get desperate. I don't know how many times I can keep sneaking out with you though." Diana said. Stiles nodded understandingly. Then a thought struck him,

"Why am I so calm right now?"

Diana blushed,

"That's me, sorry. I'm kinda blissed out right now due to the test, tea and healing spell I cast."

"I need to call Alison. Need to see what we are doing about Isaac." Stiles said concerned. He loved feeling like this and didn't really want it to end.

"Hey, would this happen if you were on pain meds? If I was on pain meds?" He asked, Diana shook her head,

"Nope, magical connection affected by magical medicine only." She clarified. Buzzing caught her attention; Stiles' phone was by her shoulder on the bed. She looked seeing Alison's name on the screen. "Alison's calling you."

That go the boy moving, he scooped up his phone fumbling to answer.

"Hey, sorry. I've been with Di, lost track of time."

He grew concerned and stood from Diana's bed causing her to miss his warmth.

"Wait, what guy?" Stiles demanded, his anxiety was rising now despite being near the blissed out Diana.

"They're sending him to the station for Isaac." Stiles said looking back at Diana who was now lying with her eyes closed happily experiencing the music coming from her turntable.

"What was it?" He demanded down the phone, Alison sent him a photo; he looked at it with frustration bubbling in his veins.

"Yeah, wolfs bane." He answered tersely. "It means they're gonna kill him." Diana's eyes snapped open at that, Isaac was her friend she didn't want him dead.

 _I can come with you. We can't let him die!_ She sent to Stiles, he looked back to her and nodded.

He hung up the phone and collected his keys. Diana forced herself from her increasingly comfortable bed to follow him out of the room and into his Jeep.

"Hey, did you slow him down?" Stiles asked Alison, Diana held the phone near to him as he drove; it was on speaker so that she would be in the loop too.

"You could say that." Alison replied cryptically. Diana pulled a face at her answer.

"All right, well, uh, I'm headed to the station right now." He said nervously twitching. There was a long pause in Alison's response.

"Is Diana with you? Because she fainted today and I don't know how much use she'll be 'round a turning werewolf. I know she's a Witch and for some reason you really love her but I don't trust her." Alison said,

"Don't trust you either, love." Diana replied clearly. "Don't have to trust you to work with you though."

"Where's Scott?" Alison asked breezing over the social snafus.

"Isaacs." Diana said flatly.

"He got a plan?" Alison asked.

"Yeah but not a very good one." Diana said.

Stiles shot her a look but Diana just shrugged,

 _What? It's true._

Stiles let out an exasperated breath but nodded,

"Unfortunately we don't have time to come up with anything better." Stiles said hanging up on the other girl.

He looked at the moon nervously and drove a little faster. Diana could feel his apprehension and wisely kept quiet.

The Jeep pulled up in front of the Beacon County Sheriff's Department, along the way they had collected Derek who now considered the office with Stiles while Diana gathered herself in the back seat.

"Okay, now the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father's office." Stiles explained, Derek just shook his head,

"Tie-Die? You got this right?" He asked the girl in the back seat. Diana adjusted her sheepskin denim jacket and nodded firmly.

"The problem's going to be getting past the front desk." Stiles continued.

"I'll distract her." Derek said confidently moving for the door to the Jeep. Stiles reached to stop him quickly,

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You?" He floundered, "You're not going in there." Derek looked scornfully at the hand now clutching his jacket.

"Be nice." Diana warned as Stiles quickly let the older man go.

"I was exhonorated." Derek argued.

"You're still a person of interest." Stiles countered.

"I'm innocent." Derek pressed.

Stiles scoffed, "Yeah, you, right."

Diana leant forward having had enough,

"He can be very charming when he wants to be, can't you Dare-Bear?" She said lightly. Stiles didn't seem convinced but Derek shot him a smug look.

"See, even your girl thinks that I'm _charming_." He mocked. Stiles bristled but they all just climbed out of the car.

Stiles and Diana watched with disbelief and pride respectively as Derek wandered into the station and turned his megawatt smile on the helpless deputy.

Stiles just rolled his eyes from next to Diana in the doorway. She had to pinch the inside of her arm as Derek started to _charm_ the deputy, to stop herself from throwing everything by laughing loudly. She could remember when he couldn't really talk to girls without blushing and falling to pieces.

Stiles pushed her elbow, which got her focus back to the task in hand and snuck into the back office with Stiles.

Stiles still wanted to go for the lockbox so Diana waited by the door. He opened the box, it opened too easily and he looked back to Diana. Her face paled when he saw the empty box and heard the link of metal.

"Oh no." Stiles hissed. Together they dove into the corridor where a trail of blood headed to the cells.

Diana's eyes widened,

 _She's a psycho. You still think we can trust her when she would do this?_ Diana asked through the bond. Stiles just shook his head keeping low carefully following the trail,

 _Not now please Di._

 _Fine. But we will talk about this at some point._ She shot back following him.

They rounded the corner at full height only to run into a deputy. He was pale and sweaty. Alarm bells began to ring in her mind.

"Oh, hey, I forgot um." Stiles looked down seeing the snapped arrow protruding from his right leg.

"Oh shi-" Stiles turned to run but the man launched for him grabbing him his hand going over his mouth Stiles struggling the whole time. He threatened the syringe in his hand to Stiles' neck, Diana responded by raising her hands and following him quietly round the corner.

Stiles could see the fear on Diana's face, she hadn't counted for poison in her spells and he could see the genuine alarm in her eyes. Still he flailed about clawing at the walls, it would be up to him to save them both now, she had wormed her way into his life and now the thought of her not being near him and talking to him was unbearable.

His hand hit the fire alarm and he flicked it down. The red lights blaring and the renewed kicks he managed to wriggle free of his captor to the floor of the cells.  
Diana dove forward helping him to stand. But her gaze was not on him. The cell door was partially off its hinges. Isaac was out.

A roar filled the air and Isaac slammed into the deputy throwing him into the desk. Diana swiftly pulled Stiles out the way, with some difficulty however as he was trying to shield her with his body.

Isaac tousled with the hunter a little prior to throwing his head back into the wall with the ease of throwing a football to a friend.

Diana felt a sharp push to her back where they were blocking the door, the force of which sent her into Stiles and onto the floor.

Derek stomped on the syringe shattering the glass and catching Isaac's furious attention which quickly turned to Stiles and Diana. His nose flared, he smelt her for the first time with his enhanced senses. His head tilted considering her with a low growl. Stiles began to tremble with fear next to her.

"Isaac." Diana started holding out her hand in a stop motion.

Stiles pulled her hand back to him trying to increase the distance between them and the monster before them. This clearly angered Isaac as he let out a roar.

Derek had, had enough and roared louder. An alfa roar. Isaac shrank back curling into a ball by the wall hiding his face. Diana shot to her feet pulling away from Stiles who scrambled after her. She paused by Derek looking at the new wolf then, in a decision that she to this day could not tell you why she made, she moved to the wolf laying her hand on his back.

"Diana, don't." Derek started concerned for his younger family member, but his concern seemed unfounded as the wolf appeared fascinated by her sniffing her and leaning closer to her shaking. In front of her eyes the wolf turned back to Isaac. A sweaty, pale and terrified Isaac.

"Di-Diana?" He stumbled, she nodded and he launched into her arms. Stiles couldn't lie he knew the emotion that was polluting his body right now was not a nice one, jealously. He wasn't ready to admit why he felt so strongly about Diana holding another man in her arms but he knew he did not like it at all.

Derek could smell it. Jealously was a very distinct sent and right now Stiles was filling the air of the cells with it. He raised his eyebrows shaking his head slightly, that was not something that he wanted to enter into.

"How did you do that?" Stiles asked Derek who had yet to take his eyes off his Beta and his former babysitting charge.

"I'm the Alfa." He said cockily, Diana rolled her eyes extracting herself from Isaac.

"You are enjoying that power a little too much." She told Derek. He just smirked. He moved past her and pulled Isaac roughly from the floor and holding his arm tightly pulled him from the station. Diana breathed out a sigh of release, the tension that had built up in her body was not healthy, her bliss from earlier in the day well and truly gone.

Stiles pulled himself up and stood with her in the centre of the room desperately trying to resist the urge to pull her into his arms.

"I think I have an idea as to how to play this when your Dad comes." Stiles raised his eyebrows,

"How?" He could hear the officers moving closer in the building.

"Like this." She said launching herself into his arms and starting to cry. His arms instantly enveloped her and smoothed up and down her back.

Stiles looked round at a cough. His father stood in the doorway his face questioning.

Diana pulled back from Stiles and hiccupped.

 _You are really good at that._ He said in awe.

 _Thanks, acting_. She shot back quickly.

"I, I, he." Diana blubbed pointing to the now very dead hunter. "He posed as an officer to get to Isaac." She took a deep breath. "Stiles had left the history notes here from another night and we were coming for them." She looked back to the boy in question who was nodding along.

"He tried to get the keys and dragged me in here. I flicked the alarm on the way."

The Sheriff just shook his head. He addressed his officers,

"Get the body to the morgue, and put an APB out on Isaac Lahey." They hastened to do as they were told while the Sheriff returned his attention to the two kids stood awkwardly in the cells.

"Go home." He directed tiredly, "Take her home first. I do not need another dressing down from the Mayor over the safety of his niece."

They shuffled out the building to the Jeep, Diana whipping her face the whole way and sniffing, an act that was dropped as soon as she got into the car.

"You need to tell me how you can do that." Stiles insisted gesturing to her face. Diana beamed,

"One of the women in the Coven is a drama tutor; we had a little training a few years ago where we could play different roles if something went wrong. The role you just saw is one of my best, scared little girl. It works best with law enforcement as they want to protect and feel powerful; it's just a matter of letting them." Diana shrugged.

"What else can you play?" Stiles wondered.

"It depends on the situation." She answered slinging the seatbelt across her body. Stiles started the engine,

"Say you were with a guy, and he was being threatened what would you do then?" He pressed on the road home. Diana looked over at him, she could feel his insecurity.

"I would play the monster Witch. Never doubt that I would protect you Stiles." She insisted. Stiles nervously laughed.

"I could never hurt you or lie to you. Besides, you're too important to me to do something like that." She insisted then barked a laugh, "You'd feel if I was trying to manipulate you anyway."

Stiles looked over at her. He remembered how she looked when he saw through her alternative sight, the fire that was within, the power. To have a person like that in your corner for the rest of his life he suddenly felt very blessed, and very confused. For so long he had loved Lydia Martin, always Lydia. Only now, Diana had waltzed into his life and as it was turning upside down threw everything into order and chaos, all in one beautiful seventeen year old package.

He shook his head and focused on the road, tonight was going to be a _long_ night.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day was calm but Diana still couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension that she had been carrying round with her. Not one to ever sit around waiting to be saved however she filled her now danger free time with research, research about the things that go bump in the night. Wendigo's, Hellhounds, Werecoyotes all of it in the family library most of it still residing in England with the family seat but what her ancestors had brought over was useful.

Stiles had been strangely quiet only talking to her about school work and to say goodnight in the evening, not even through the bond just text. Diana thought this might be the apprehension that she was crying but then again, she had started to feel this way before the night of the police station whereby he had dropped her off and swiftly shut down.

It was how she came to be in gym staring at the back of his head while everyone else considered the climbing wall in front of them.

"This is asinine." Lydia pouted from beside Diana picking her nails. "It's not like we are even burning calories."

Diana just nodded,

 _Stiles? Is everything okay?_ He didn't even look round. It hurt to think that he could pull away for no reason so rapidly, she didn't even know if it was something that she had done.

Then he got called forward for the wall along with Erica. Diana had always had a soft sort of pity for Erica. The frazzled looking girl had epilepsy and although she was smart wasn't the type of reach for the stars smart that her and Lydia were. Diana watched anxious as the girl steeled herself and moved determinedly towards the harness.

"Poor girl." Diana muttered, Lydia must have heard because she hummed in agreement nodding.

Stiles shot off up the wall his shirt pulling up a little as he reached for the hand holds. He must have heard Diana gasp because he froze for the smallest of moments before carrying on. On his right arm there was a symbol. One she had not seen in years. A flash of hurt crossed her face as she took in what this meant. The rune was that of mind protection. He'd shut her out.

Her shock didn't last long however because as he was coming down the wall Erica froze. She was stuck and started to cry. Stiles was oblivious to this and started to celebrate on the mats, he stopped quickly though when she began to cry in earnest.

"Please." She whimpered.

"Erica." Coach called moving quickly to the base of the wall below her. She wasn't even that high Diana reasoned, it felt strange to be in her own head once more.

"Dizzy?" Coach asked, Diana shook her head,

"She's just stuck." She told him, "Erica you'll be fine, just let go." Diana called up to her.

"Is it vertigo?" Coach asked growing confused as all PE teachers do as to why a teenager would exhibit any form of weakness.

Lydia frowned from by him,

"Vertigo is a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear. She's just freaking out." Diana shook her head and pushed forward hopping up onto the wall without the ropes ignoring Stiles' splutters as she passed.

Swiftly she was at Erica's side, her left hand reaching out resting on the shoulder of the panicking girl. The blonde looked round shakily at the brunette.

"You, you don't have ropes." She protested, as did the Coach loudly and vehemently from the ground.

"I know. But you do, how about we go down together? That way we can both be on solid ground." Diana reasoned calmly, Erica nodded. Diana smiled,

"Right hand here on this yellow one." She soothed, the blonde following her instructions, "Now the right foot to that big blue one."

It took longer than it did to get up there but they both landed on the mats safely turning to face a very pissed off coach and a stunned class.

"Preston, detention tonight. My god that was dangerous." Diana screwed up her face.

"What's dangerous is letting the girl with epilepsy near a climbing wall." The Coach's face paled his little eyes shooting to a guilty looking Erica.

"Why does no one tell me things." He shook his head. The bell rang for next period then loudly moving the day along. Diana patted Erica's shoulder spying Stiles hovering a little way off.

She never heard the thank you that Erica was trying to articulate because she had already shot off to corner the boy.

"I need to talk to you." She snapped. He paled slightly but nodded. "Take that thing off your arm." She spat.

She didn't see Erica hang back from the group heading to the locker rooms, nor did she see the determination in her eye as the lights flicked off. She was too angry that Stiles had used magic to shut her out, not only that but really dangerous magic. That rune was a chaos rune; it was volatile if left on too long it could trap the wearer in their own mind shutting down the body so that all that was left was eye movements.

Lydia chatted about shopping that weekend or doing something as a group of three while they changed, Diana redressing into her oversized cropped tee and ripped boyfriend jeans with her tan heeled boots, her usual moonstone necklace hanging round her delicate neck.

Over in the boy's locker room however a similar conversation was occurring.

"What do you mean tonight's not a good time?" Stiles demanded throwing on his hooded Henley shirt.

"I don't know. That thing we saw last night, Isaac missing and Alison's grandfather. All this stuff happening with Derek just doesn't feel right." Stiles twitched,

"No, you're not backing out. You wanna know why? Because you and Alison are obviously having quite a good time together. And you know who else wants to have a good time? Stiles!" He pointed to himself, "Stiles wants to have a good time. Many, many times. Several times in a row. In several different positions." He noticed Scott's focus begin to wane. "Are you even listening to me?" _This would be easier if I was talking to Di._ Then he remembered why he was trialling the separation, he didn't exactly want her in his head the first time he got his rocks off.

Scott's hand began to shake, and Stiles sighed,

"What? What is that?"

He didn't answer he just ran, booking it from the locker room to the gym hall in time to catch the now falling Erica.

Like every other drama hungry teen Diana was swept up in the commotion that Scott caused hurrying to the gym alongside her friends.

"Put her on her side, on her side." Alison directed her secret lover as he held the fitting girl.

Diana stood above the crouching crowd apprehensively. Stiles looked up from by Erica's feet to meet her eyes.

"Can't you do something?" He demanded. Diana just glared at him silently,

"What can _she_ do? She had epilepsy, it's not like it's an allergic reaction." Lydia defended standing up to be at her friend's side.

Diana turned away leaving the others to the scene going back to the locker room.

 _Enough, I will not let this bullshit ruin my life_. She told herself pulling her red leather satchel from the metal box and going to her next class.

She didn't talk much and barely noticed when Lydia disappeared only to reappear by the trophies at lunch.

"Lyd? You okay?" Diana asked breaking her out of the staring contest she was having with the statue for basketball with her godfather's name on it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Lunch?" Lydia breezed. Diana still looked suspicious but nodded following her to the cafeteria.

"I'm going to have to cancel on us having that sleepover tonight Di, Alison's dragging me to the ice rink with her boyfriend and your spaz." Lydia said consolingly, it was fake but Diana shrugged. She knew if given he chance Lydia would rather be curled up in their family room watching a shitty rom com with her. Then it dawned on her. The accidental thought broadcasts, the rune. Stiles didn't want her in his head as he went on a date with Lydia. She pursed her lips.

"No problem. Some other time." Guilt bloomed in Lydia's chest,

"If you find a date you could come with us." She reasoned. Diana smiled; the only other guy she would have thought to go ice skating with was half way round the world right now.

"Thanks, but I doubt the guy I have in mind would be available." That caught Lydia's attention. She raised her eyebrows as they pushed open the double doors to the lunch room.

"It's nothing. Just a guy who goes to boarding school in England. We dated for like one summer when he stayed over here with his dad." Diana shrugged. They spied Alison sat at a table with space and headed over to the other girl. She beamed at them,

"You excited for the rink tonight?" She buzzed, and then she remembered that Diana wasn't invited.

"You can come too Diana. Might be weird you being on your own though." She said deflating a little.

Diana smiled tightly and took her seat.

After a few minutes Erica waltzed in.

"Dear god." Diana accidentally murmured. Erica was dressed a little like a tramp. A tiny leather skirt, six inch animal print heels and a leather jacket over a low cut vest. For school.

"There really is no accounting for taste." Lydia said quietly watching as Erica stole a boys apple biting seductively into the flesh.

Lydia stormed over to Scott's table one over, slapping her hands down onto the surface,

"What, the holly hell? Is that." She asked.

"It's Erica." Scott answered, Stiles unable to form words. Diana rolled her eyes and stood to follow the girl, she knew that Derek had given her the bite but to so blatantly flaunt his new creation in a school run by the Argents was risky.

Scott and Stiles hurried past her following the newly born wolf through the halls. Diana following at a more sedate pace, arriving outside just in time to see Derek's tail lights fade from view of the school grounds.

That wasn't what caught her attention however. It was the dark haired boy leaning against her Audi.

"Who is on your car?" Stiles demanded looking over the new teen.

He cut an imposing figure, broad shoulders built up with muscle, his long body languishing against the dark bonnet, his eyes obscured by large reflective aviator sunglasses and his thick long curly hair messed up slightly suspended leaning to one side of his face, cropped short at the back and sides.

Diana knew him instantly.

"Logan!" She shrieked pushing the two boys out of her way in her excitement, her arms flying up.

Logan's face split into a grin enunciating how handsome he really was. Not that he needed to of course.

Scott looked at Stiles' doubly stunned face.

Diana giggled as Logan scooped her into his arms and spun her round.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded when he set her down. "I thought you were at Oakham?!"

Logan rubbed the back of his head,

"I got kicked out. Fighting." He shrugged, Diana punched his bicep and he winced. His Diana could land a hit.

"You idiot." She admonished. "You go here now?"

Logan smiled nodding,

"It's my first day." He tilted his head to the left, "Well, half day I suppose." Diana jumped up and down in little hops,

"Yay, we have so much to catch up on!" She grabbed his hand still smiling like she had won the lottery and dragged him over to the boys.

"Di, who's this?" Stiles asked, holding out his right hand to semi block them from entering the building.

"Logan." She said bluntly moving to go into the hall. A deep chuckle sounded from behind her,

"Logan Swan, pleased to meet you." He held out his shovel of a hand to Stiles who took it and shook. The boys still looked wary of the newcomer and Stiles went to pull back his hand but Logan held on his face becoming concerned.

"You know that rune is dangerous, right?" He said, his clear south English accent ringing through his speech.

"You're still wearing it?!" Diana demanded moving closer to Logan.

"Wait you're…?" Stiles started realisation taking hold in his mind. A freeze. This new boy could connect with his Diana on a level that he could not and that stung.

"I was going to take it off tonight." Stiles shrugged, Diana pinched the bridge of her nose,

"After your date with Lydia." She nodded. She looked up to Logan, his full height of six feet three inches giving her the best feeling of being small, "Would you like to go ice skating with us tonight?"

"Would love to sweetheart." Logan replied squeezing her hand.

"That settles it. Wash that damn thing off your arm Stiles. I won't tell you again." She directed stiffly now completing her original task of pulling Logan into the school building towards the cafeteria.

"What's going on there then?" Logan asked a little way off. Diana sighed and hugged his considerable arm to her body.

"Nothing. Just stupid werewolf tension." Diana answered.

"The Hales?" he pondered feeling Diana nod against his left arm. He slung it over her shoulders pulling her into him feeling the hot gaze of the two boys they had left in the doorway.

 _Diana?_ She heard in French class. Logan had signed up to be with her in every class. His family was like hers in that they had survived the crash of '29 with aplomb leaving a tidy living for their decedents to build upon, and he was one of the most powerful freezes in the magical community, his understanding and use of rune magic had earned him the nickname of Odin. Realistically there was no need for him to be educated any further at all. Only the law required that he attend and his father thought that Diana would be a good influence, after all it what when she left England that he began to go off the rails.

 _Diana please. I'm sorry, what did that rune do besides lock you out of my head anyway?_ Stiles asked. Diana focused on her verbs more intently.

 _I'm an idiot._ Stiles admitted, _I'm the biggest tool there is, now will you please talk to me? It's been really weird not having you in my mind._

 _It would have eventually imprisoned you within your own mind, making you into a vegetable._ Diana shot back. She could feel the emotions down the bond again, his frustration and relief.

 _Oh shit_.

 _Yeah,_ _ **oh shit**_ _. It's magic Stiles. Where did you even find it?_ Diana hissed flooding their bond with anger.

 _Little tense, I get that, I found it online_. Diana rolled her eyes.

 _You're lucky Logan's here. If you had that on for more than a day its effects could be irreversible_.

 _He's a freeze right? What's his gift, or well, his mother's gift?_ Stiles asked.

 _Runes. He can predict and cast through understanding and use of the runic symbols of our people_. Diana explained. _He's the best at it actually; people call him Odin because he's so good_.

 _I don't trust him_. Stiles blurted.

 _Shocker_. Diana deadpanned; she looked over to her right at the boy in question sat next to her, his large frame folded into the space behind the desk. The Swan's had always been big people; it was their Viking blood that did it.

After school she texted Logan the address of the rink and went with Lydia to Alison's house to get ready. The two were in dresses and cardigans looking pretty in a dressy casual way, whereas Diana just looked pretty as she was, black oversized cropped tee and jeans with her bohemian jewellery. Walking into the belly of the beast was undoubtedly terrifying but with Logan doodling on her arm all afternoon she knew she was safe, that boy could hide protection runes in a drawing of a flower and nobody would be able to tell.

"Tell us about Logan." Lydia insisted as Alison was pulled off to the side of the room by her father.

Diana blushed, a slow smile spreading over her face.

"He's great, we were really close friends back in England and then we kinda drifted for a while after all that happened." She shrugged, "His mum passed too about the same time but his dad sent him to boarding school rather than take him with him San Francisco." Lydia nodded pulling out her phone and beginning to take pictures of herself.

"Then what? You said you dated one summer." Lydia prompted. Diana nodded her auburn hair spilling forward a little as she sat on Alison's bed,

"Yeah, that was fun. It's not every day though that your first kiss walks back into your life." Diana giggled a little flopping onto the bed. Lydia smiled and shot a snap of her, her left arm stretched out her curves highlighted and the light catching her fiery hair.

She smirked and sent the photo to both Logan and Stiles. Both boys had insisted that she have their number for tonight in case anything came up.

The responses were instant.

From Logan to Lydia.

[Tell her she's beautiful.]

Stiles just left it marked on read.

"Aww, Logan loves you more." Lydia crooned. Diana's head shot up.

"What?" Lydia gave her a mischievous look spinning her phone round.

"I sent it to Logan and Stiles. Only Logan replied."

 _Ignore Lydia; she's got the devil in her tonight_. She sent to Stiles feeling only nerves in reply.

Stiles unlocked the doors and flicked on the lights, the rink suddenly bursting to life. Diana looked to Logan who grinned and together they entered the sports arena.

Quickly outfitting themselves with skates they confidently entered the ice.

"It's been a while since I've skated, so go easy on me." Logan laughed as Diana circled him with grace and ease. She stopped in front of him, a shit eating grin on her face,

"Catch me." She giggled speeding off into the ice round a poised Alison and a very shaky Scott.

"How are you so good at this?!" He laughingly demanded, Diana laughed throwing out her arms to catch the wind as she sped up,

"I used to skate all the time back home." She answered.

She felt Logan's hand on her back but weaved out of the way laughing as he slipped past her.

"Okay, um, maybe orange and blue isn't the best. Right, but, um, you know, sometimes, there's other things you wouldn't think would be a good combination end up turning out to be, like, perfect combinations, you know, like two people together who nobody thought would ever be together ever." Stiles fumbled, Lydia seemingly non plussed nibbling at a peanut butter cup.

"No I can see that." She mused; Stiles' face lighting up with hope. "Scott and Alison are so cute together though." She tilted her head at Logan still trying to catch Diana only managing to reach out fingertips to her back though, "I'm glad Diana has found someone too."

"What do you mean?" Stiles' gaze shot round to her laughing face her auburn hair glinting red in the light. Lydia smiled softly,

"They used to date a while back, I think she's been really missing him lately too what with how down she's been. Nobody else sees it." She shrugged.

They got on the ice. Lydia did some twirls by herself with Diana circling her beaming as Logan still tried to catch her. Stiles stood in the centre of the rink watching amazed at their finesse. That is until Lydia moved over to catch his hand and lead him round the ice.

Diana paused, Logan reflected her, and both had their arms out slightly in front of them.

"You still skate Tie-Dye?" Logan asked flicking his eyebrows at her. Diana shook her head,

"Not that much anymore still can't catch me though can you?" Logan felt like he would always be trying to catch her for the rest of his life, never quite getting close enough to hold her.

They didn't notice Lydia until she started to scream like a banshee.

Diana immediately straightened her attention caught by the piercing scream; her friend knelt on the ice terrified by something that nobody else could see.

"Can you see what it is?" Logan asked, Diana shook her head looking back as he moved a little closer to her.

"Can you?" Diana queried, Logan grunted no.

Stiles was there in a heartbeat holding Lydia as she tried to pull away from him reaching to something under the ice. He looked to Scott and Alison at the edge of the rink and then to the two magical beings behind him on the ice still. His eyes pleading for help.

Diana pushed off and fell to the floor by Lydia, smoothing her hair back she whispered,

"Cessabit." Lydia went limp in their arms, her breathing less laboured and her head fell forward.

"Thank you." Stiles breathed. Diana took Lydia's arms from him and looked to Logan, no sooner had she looked up for him was he there taking one arm from her grasp and helping to lift the other girl off the ice.

After the outburst they decided to call it a day, Lydia murmuring something about pretty purple petals set them all on edge.

"Pretty crazy day huh?" Stiles said as Diana handed Logan her skates to return to the rental kiosk. She fixed Stiles with a flat look.

"Yeah. Mental."

"Okay, so, still annoyed at me." He said understandingly, his gestures acquiescing.

"You still fail to grasp the complexities of this bond, so I will try to put this as plainly as I can." Diana sighed, "You can not shut me out. I am your one lifeline that will actually come through. Scott, he will choose Alison again and again, Lydia, Jackson. You are _human_ and a defenceless one at that."

"I'm well aware of that okay?!" Stiles snapped back. Diana leant into him,

"Are you? Because it seems to me that you still don't get that if you die I die. _Logan_ can't find out about this."

"Why not? He seems like he'd take it well, 'oh hey Logan, you're twice my size but, hey, I will always be in your girls head. Hope you don't mind.'" Stiles sassed, Diana looked round to where the boy in question was putting the skates back.

"We are just friends." She hissed. Stiles rolled his eyes,

"Sure. How can any girl be around that and not want it? I know you dated for a summer Diana I'm not stupid."

"And we broke up because he got weird and possessive, started talking about how if we had a kid it could take over the world, especially if it was a girl." Diana said quietly, Stiles' face lost the harsh edge, confusion colouring his eyes in place of the jealously that was there.

"Seriously?" He asked his eyebrows rising. Diana nodded,

"Look, I'm sorry. It won't happen again, and I know that I keep saying it but this time I mean it." He promised, Diana shook her head putting on her tan heeled boots again.

"Don't, don't make promises you can't keep Stiles, it's not fair to you and I won't put that kind of pressure on you. Just," She sighed, "Please try to be more careful?" Stiles nodded emphatically.

"Thank you." She smiled again at him for the first time in days and he felt his entire world light up.

"Ready to go?" Logan asked appearing behind her. Diana nodded, smiling up at him.

 _I'm not completely sure that I trust him either._ Diana told Stiles, righteousness filled the bond, to which Diana had to really try not to roll her eyes at.

"See you tomorrow." She waved to everyone heading out to their cars, Diana had driven her own and Logan his to meet them there, he offered her a lift but she was hesitant to enter a car with him so she shook her head, waved goodbye and entered her Audi. Thankful for the time alone.


	18. Chapter 18

Diana was inn a strangely contemplative mood the next day. She put it down to a dream she had in her sleep upsetting her and moved on. It came back in drabs through the day however, flashes of an ice rink and Stiles in a dumpster. She tried to shake it off but it stuck with her.

She saw Erica smirk at her, like she knew something that Diana didn't. Fury began to burn through her veins.

 _Whoa, what's going on? You okay?_ Stiles asked, Diana realising that she had been flooding the bond with her overflowing emotion. It registered mildly that she hadn't seen Logan all day; he was supposed to be in her every class but was nowhere to be found. He wasn't even answering his phone.

 _I don't know. I'm going to find out though._ Diana answered hurrying to her locker. Luckily she had a free period so she could happily do this in her car without being interrupted. Wrenching open the metal door she reached in grasping the large clear quartz that resided permanently at the back of her locker.

"You know, Derek told me about you." Diana's head fell forward, Erica.

Diana turned, not letting go of the quartz, she breathed deeply centring herself. Finally ready she looked up into the self-assured eyes of the newly born Were.

"Oh yeah?" She challenged. Erica nodded toying her cheek with her tongue.

"Said you were not to be touched. Off limits." Erica moved closer to her, invading her personal space. "I'm willing to follow orders with you; you were always nice to me." She looked Diana up and down, "Now I see it was because you were week."

Diana nodded her lips pursed.

"Did Derek tell you everything about me?" She pressed, Erica's self-assured mask slipped a little, Derek had purposefully withheld information then.

"He said enough." Erica answered confidently, "Said you were powerful. Personally," She drawled, "I don't see it."

Diana gripped a handful of hair with her left hand pushing it back to scratch the back of her head. Knowing how to deal with this situation she turned and closed her locker door. Erica was so hopped up on her new found power that to ignore her would be the biggest insult. Diana figured this from her outfit.

"Maybe you should pay attention puppy." Diana sassed moving to pass the Were.

Erica growled shooting her right hand out to catch Diana's upper arm.

Heat scorched from her touch, Diana's dream coming back to her all at once. Stiles being hurt, Derek gaining power through another Beta at the ice rink and Logan standing with them.

Erica's claws pierced Diana's arm dripping dark blood to the linoleum of the corridor floor. Fortunate for the two the hall was mainly empty else the scene of a Witch rounding on a new Were would have caused a stir.

"Dimittas." Diana commanded coldly. Erica's hand pried open despite her efforts to the contrary. The quartz in Diana's hand cleared to a glass like form the jagged rock gripped tightly in her right hand.

"So that's what you do." Erica said with a smirk recovering quickly from the magic.

Diana glowered at the girl. Her left palm beating into the slightly taller girl's forehead. The scenes that filled her mind were of Erica's worst memories, her best, her pain, her joy all of it.

"I used to pity you because of your condition, now I pity you because of what you lack. Good luck." Diana announced removing her hand from the now stunned blonde.

"What was that?" Erica demanded. "What did you do?!" She called after Diana who moved past her and away to the car park doors.

"Don't' worry, the mark only lasts a day or two." Diana laughed. Erica growled. The wisdom bind rune glowing on Diana's left palm brought a small smile to her lips.

Stiles appeared by her in the corridor his feet falling in time with hers.

"Derek needs," Stiles began,

"Three wolves, I know." Diana answered with a smile.

"Right, so, we think he's going after," Stiles continued.

"Boyd." Stiles frowned in confusion. Diana just tapped her head with the quartz she was still carrying, Stiles nodded in understanding.

"You going over to his house?" Diana asked curiously. They had made it down to the cars now; she had taken to parking next to his Jeep as it was often easier than wasting time crossing the car park to her Audi.

"Yeah. Wanna come with?" He asked hopefully, Diana pressed her lips together pulling a face.

"Got some Witchy shit to do, sorry." She answered sadly leaning against her car. She frowned slightly, "You should know, I think Logan is up to something."

"Like what?" Stiles leant forward slightly intrigued. "He working for Derek? The Argents?"

"He wouldn't sell out the Coven," Diana mused, "You lot or Derek however." She shrugged. Stiles kicked her front tire, his anger evident through the bond as well.

"Just fantastic." He said sarcastically. Impulsively Diana launched herself into his arms hugging him. Her left palm against the base of his scull holding his face into her neck.

Instinctively he hugged her back, gripping her like she was a life line.

 _Call me at five_. She directed, he nodded into her neck and she let go knowing full well that her scent lingered on him.

Stiles knocked repeatedly on the front door, not getting any answer. He was growing desperate now.

"Hey Boyd?" He called to the empty house. "Hey Boyd? It's Stiles."

Erica came up the stairs behind him quietly. He turned to leave,

"Oh wow!" He blurted, Erica was right in front of him on the porch.

"What are you doing here Stiles?" She giggled. Stiles backed up to the door.

"Uh, nothing, I was just looking for, um…" He fumbled.

 _Help me_. Stiles pleaded. Diana was in a prophetic trance with her Aunt in the library of their house however and was unavailable.

"Boyd?" Erica prompted.

"Yeah, yes. Boyd." Stiles nodded, he focused on the bond with Diana, his lifeline. His lifeline that wasn't ringing however.

"You know what you're doing right now that's kind of funny?" Erica said swaying back and forth in front of the nervous boy.

Stiles shook his head no.

"You're only looking in my eyes." She smirked.

"That's funny?"

"Well, yeah. Because it's that kind of look where you're trying not to look anywhere other than my eyes." She said with a smile, "Probably because of that freak, you know her scent is all over you."

"But you want to don't you?" She continued. "You want a nice, long, hard look."

 _Play it cool. Deny everything_. He could have cried, Diana had answered him. He thought.

Erica moved slowly closer to him. He turned his mouth down at the edges and shook his head in what he hoped was a convincing manner.

"No, not really." He said.

"Oh so it's just my eyes?" Erica pouted,

 _Dear god this girl, who is she trying to kid_. Diana said in his mind, he could almost hear her eye roll.

 _How are you seeing this?_

 _Scrying, pay attention._ Diana answered quickly, her Aunt needed to pee so she had cast a quick spell in the small pool of distilled water that had lain between them.

"Yes." Stiles answered Erica. She moped in response mockingly. "You have beautiful eyes." He continued.

 _Seriously?_ Diana deadpanned, _See you later Stiles_. Diana waved away the connection as her Aunt re-entered the room.

"I have beautiful everything." Erica frowned. Stiles scoffed,

"And a new found self-confidence. Congratulations Erica." He said before going to move past her. "I should get going. Diana will be looking for me." He dropped her name hoping that Diana's relationship with Derek would have been mentioned.

"You're not going anywhere, and that Bitch isn't looking for _you_." Erica said her hand landing heavily on Stiles' chest.

Stiles' face pinched in anticipation of pain, "Why not?"

Erica hoisted an important looking car part in her right hand,

"You're having car trouble." She promptly beat him round the head with the cylindrical part of Stiles' Jeep.

Diana's eyes shot open.

"You have to go don't you?" Her Aunt sighed. Diana looked guiltily at her crossed legs.

"I'm sorry." Diana confirmed, her Aunt hadn't opened her eyes,

"It is fine, you have more to learn before you turn twenty one. You're magic is still emerging, we just thought you had all of it, it just means that you are going to be one of the most powerful the community has ever had."

Diana studied her Aunt, her eyes were still closed, her dark hair pulled back from her face tied at the base of her head, her long eyelashes resting gently on her high cheek bones. She was still in the trance.

"Thank you." Diana said carefully getting up, she moved away from the small alter set up in the centre of the room between the two large squishy sofas perpendicular to the fireplace.

Diana hurried to leave the house throwing on her sneakers and grabbing her keys. It was nearly half four, if she broke a few speed limits she would be able to get there in time.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled up to the skating rink. She noticed Logan's car in the lot but didn't think too much on it busting into the building hurrying to the side of the rink.

Scott stood victorious in the centre of the ice his partial transformation highlighting the recent change in his life.

Scott turned at the sound of her laughter.

"Go Scotty!" She laughed happily. She walked over to Derek who was holding back near her looking at his defeated Beta's.

"This is what happens when you listen to a freeze." She said quietly, raising her eyebrows at the beaten boy leaning against the ice cleaner behind Scott.

"Also, the mark on your Bitch's forehead is from me. Don't let her start things she's not ready for, I will not be so lenient next time." Diana nodded once standing exiting the ice,

"You're going?" Scott called. Diana waved without turning round,

"You seem to have this down Moon Moon, I got to pick up Stiles." She said tossing her car keys in her left hand.

Diana wrenched the dumpster lid up revealing Stiles lying prone amongst the refuse bags. She crossed her arms leaning against the rim looking down to him as he gained consciousness.

Stiles sat up his hand reaching behind his head in pain,

"Bitch." He groaned. Diana nodded,

"She is, female wolves are always worse than the male ones." She said sagely. Stiles' eyes shot open meeting hers.

"Di? How did you fine me?" He looked about them at the random parking lot. She pulled his arm forward pushing up his hoodie sleeve, his watch said five past five.

"I had a dream last night, only remembered when Erica grabbed at me this afternoon. Figured it would be her that would do this."

"That's why you hugged me? Your scent?" He demanded sounding a little disappointed.

"It's one reason." She held out her hand to help him from the dumpster. After a moment looking at her hand he took it and got out of the bin. He followed her round the corner to where she had parked her Audi behind his Jeep.

"Erica pulled part of the engine out." He groaned putting his hands over his head. Diana nodded slowly.

"I had a look before and called a tow, by now they should be twenty minutes out. Wanna wait in my car?" Stiles yawned nodding already moving to the black Audi.

They sat in companionable silence, the radio playing quietly, the heater on full.

"What were you doing before?" Stiles blurted, it had been playing round his mind.

"I told my Aunt about my dream and she insisted that we do a ritual to see if it was really the Sight emerging." She explained reaching over the console to the back seat.

"You still get emerging things?" He asked confused as to what she was doing.

"Yup, will do until I'm twenty one apparently." She said returning to her seat with a huge bag of sour patch kids.

She pried it open and offered it to the boy next to her.

"I can hear your stomach rumbling, eat." She commanded, Stiles laid a hand on his belly and smiled. He scooped up a large handful stuffing a few into his face.

Stiles groaned slamming his head back into the leather headrest.

"What now?" Diana queried. Her attention once again caught by him in the deepening dark of the night.

"Just thinking about how much this is gonna cost." Diana nodded her lips pursed fishing out a green piece of candy,

"I got it." She shrugged. Stiles shook his head,

"I couldn't ask you to do that." He said shaking his head vehemently.

"Shut up." She batted off his comment with a wave of her hand, "I'm in your head, will be till we die, this is the least that I can do."

"Still." He protested but fell silent under Diana's determined gaze. He let out a small smile accidentally, his eyes caught by her green irises.

"You know you look fantastic when you fix your mind to something." He admitted, gesturing his hand towards his chest, "Powerful, you know…"

"Magical? Witch like?" Diana said slightly mocking, she smiled. Suddenly she was grateful for the darkness as it hid her blush.

"Yeah." He said softly, he reached out moving a small lock of hair from her face.

Diana froze, he had been so flustered before with Erica, not knowing where to look, now he seemed genuinely caught in her eyes.

"Stiles?" She said softly. He nodded letting his hand drop,

"I think the tow is here." She finished, Stiles looked round as the yellow truck pulled up next to them.

"Hey? Hey!" Stiles shouted moving towards his Jeep in the garage. He and Diana had both been sat in the small oil smelling office for the past two hours. Now she leant against another car by the office door no longer able to sit on the plastic chairs in the office.

"Wha-what do you think you're doing? All I needed was a starter." He bent next to the mechanic,

"Yeah, but it looks like your whole exhaust system's gotta be replaced too." He answered.

"Why do I get the feeling you're slightly overestimating the damage?" Stiles said testily,

"Probably gonna run you around, like, $1,200 in parts and labour." The young mechanic estimated. Stiles squinted in disbelief.

"Are you kidding?" He exclaimed, "This thing doesn't even have a catalytic converter. And, yes, I know what a catalytic converter is."

The mechanic put his arms down; Stiles now had his full attention,

"You know what a limited slip differential is?" He shot back,

"No." Stiles sassed back dejectedly, the mechanic returned to the underside of the Jeep.

"Yeah, could run you more like $1,500. But your girl said she was good for it." He shrugged.

"Okay, just finish." He sighed; Diana had beaten him down on the ride over about who was paying for the repairs. "I'll be back here, seething with impotent rage.

 _What a jerk_.

"Yeah you're telling me." Stiles replied out loud to the red head.

"I left my keys in the office." Diana realised moving to return and pick them up, Stiles stopped her with his hand on her arm,

"I got it." He mumbled.

The door handle was covered in some weird kinda goop.

"Oh nice." Stiles said finally having had it with the night. "Real sanitary, quality establishment you're running here.

"Ew." Diana said echoing Stiles' proclamation; her hand had drifted back landing in a pool of goo on the bonnet of the other car.

While Diana wiped her hand on her jeans Stiles entered the office spying a framed picture of the mechanic as a lacrosse player.

"Figures." He scoffed.

Diana's phone rang out with her text tone for her Aunt. Sitting forward she reached to pull it from her back pocket. Only her fingers wouldn't move.

She frowned and tried again. Still not moving.

Diana's eyes shot to Stiles, his eyes on hers through the glass.

 _I can't move my hands_. He said terror filling his voice in her mind.

 _I can't either_. She replied decidedly more calm than him. Her training with the coven had covered paralytic agents; she knew what was going to happen.

 _Try to call 911; what will happen next is that you will lose motor function below the neck, probably_. Diana said moving to the floor carefully.

 _Probably?!_

 _Each is different_. Diana reasoned.

 _There's something out there with you_. Stiles said looking past Diana to his Jeep.

 _What does it look like?_ She asked collecting the information about the paralytic would help with determining what it is.

 _Scally. Big claws_. He shot back quickly, panic filling his body.

"Hey." He called, the glass blocking the sound, "Hey!"

The agent had taken hold of his legs now causing him to fall to the floor. He crawled towards his phone which lay on the ground by the door. Through the glass panel at the base he could see Diana, her hair a bastion of colour in the dark garage.

Diana couldn't see Stiles anymore; she could see the creature however. She saw it cut the gas line to the car lift slowly lowering the device onto he frozen body of the mechanic.

"Help!" He called weakly. Diana closed her eyes to the horror she was about to see. All the while Stiles fought to dial 911.

Suddenly it roared and Diana's eyes flew open only just catching a glimpse as it scampered away into the night, the silhouette the only thing she saw.

"You should really listen to your Aunt you know." Esma told Diana sternly, Diana nodded at her Aunts colleague,

"I don't know what happened." Diana shrugged. The paralytic had finally worn off as the paramedics and police had arrived. Now Stiles was sat with his dad in another ambulance while Diana was in hers.

"Either way, I'm gonna tell your Tia." The Hispanic woman said definitively.

"Snitch." Diana joked, Esma laughed heartily, Diana liked Esma, she had a warm personality coupled with a harsh face emphasised by a stiff bun she wore her hair in to work.

Stiles made his way over to where Diana sat in the ambulance's bright white interior. Esma had gone to talk to the other paramedics about the body of the guy they had found crushed.

"Ready to go home?" Stiles said, his eyes tired.

"Yeah. You okay?" Diana frowned taking in his appearance.

"No. Stupid wolf shit always getting me into crap. Now they've impounded my Jeep. Evidence." Stiles groused.

"Okay sour patch. Let's get you home." She said, she'd managed to snag her keys from the office before the major police cordon had blocked everything off. Luckily she had parked a little way off down the road not wanting the mechanic to do anything to her car.

Diana put her arm round his, pulling him after her into the rain. Stiles slung his arm around her shoulders and squeezed a little. She had somehow become his comfort blanket over such a short period of time.

When they reached his drive way Stiles pulled out his phone and dialled Scott.

"You were right. It's not like you. I mean its eyes were almost, reptilian. But there was somthin' about 'em." Stiles shook his head,

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, the line crackling slightly, he was sat in his car a little way off from the crime scene.

"You know when you see, like, a friend in a Halloween mask, but all you can actually see are their eyes, and you feel like you know them, but you just can't figure out who it is?"

"You saying you know who it is?" Scott demanded,

"No," Stiles said meeting Diana's eyes, "But I think it knew me."

Diana's eyes widened.

Stiles bid Scott goodnight and hung up the phone.

"I'm staying with you tonight." Diana said decidedly. Stiles shook his head rubbing his forehead.

"No, your Aunt will notice if you're not there in the morning or if you don't come home."

"Stiles, I'm not leaving you alone after something like this. I will go home and come back through glass." She said turning the engine over. "I take it you have a mirror?"

"Yeah." He said softly. Diana nodded once.

"Then at ten thirty I will be arriving in your room."

"Thank you." Stiles said tiredly getting out of the Audi and slowly moving up to his house. Dina stayed on the drive until he was well inside the house.

She shot back to her house and readied herself for bed, it was not unusual for her at this time, and ten was her regular bed time.

Stiles waited in bed staring at the red letters on his alarm clock as they steadily moved.

10:30 precisely was when he heard her light footsteps moving towards the bed. He was bone tired and didn't react when Diana lifted the bed covers and climbed in.

She lay facing him for a long moment as he decided what to do. Eventually he moved forward and into her arms.

He breathed in her deep, rich, flowery scent finally feeling safe.

This world was shaping to be hellish, but here in his other half's arms he felt like nothing could harm him and he began to drift into a heavy sleep soothed by her rand on his hair and the steady rise and fall of her chest.

He didn't even hear her leave in the small hours of the morning as dawn broke.


	19. Chapter 19

Stiles and Scott sat on the base step of one of the school staircases, Lydia was with the guidance councillor and Diana was outside with Alison. Stiles had been running messages between the two of them all day.

"I'm so sorry about the other day. I'm trying. We'll get through this. I know, because I love you." Scott smiled a little at the taller boy next to him, "I love you more than – oh, my god!" Stiles finally broke, laughter filling his head as embarrassment filled their bond.

"I can't, you and Alison just need to find a better way to communicate."

"C'mon!" Scott prompted impatiently. "You're the only one that we can trust, well, that and Diana outright refused. Is she coming to the game tonight?"

"Yes. Okay? Message complete." Stiles said frustrated, "Now tell me about your boss."

Scott looked round nervously, there were plenty of people milling around that could overhear them so he leant in and lowered his voice,

"He thinks that Alison's family keeps some kind of, uh, records of all the things that they've hunted. Like a book." Scott said, Stiles' eyes brightened in recognition.

"He probably means a bestiary." Stiles clapped, Scott's face screwed up in confusion,

"What?"

"A bestiary." Stiles repeated, Scott grinned,

"I think you mean bestiality." He laughed,

"Nope, pretty sure I don't." Sties deadpanned. "It's like an encyclopaedia of mythical creatures. Diana's family have one not that surprising that the Argent's would too."

"How am I the only one that doesn't seem to know about this stuff?" Scott moaned,

"Okay, you know, you're my best friend, you're a creature of the night, it's kind of like a priority of mine, that and Diana is really sweet about answering my questions."

Scott nodded understandingly,

"Okay, if we can find it, and it can tell us what this thing is-"

"And who." Stiles interrupted,

"We need that book." They both said in unison. They shared a look prompting Stiles to pick up his bag and go on the return trip to where the girls sat.

"I think you mean?" Alison giggled,

"No, I mean bestiary. And the two of you, I don't want to know what's going on in your heads." His eyes flickered to Diana behind Alison, he had been meaning to talk to her all day but with the messenger service he was providing for his best friend he hadn't had chance.

"He means some kind of book that contains a record of all the things that your family have hunted over the years. My family has something similar but it's skewed towards magic, I can have a look but I don't know how useful it will be." She shrugged, Alison nodded and Stiles sighed with relief, Diana knew what he was talking about.

"Can you describe it?" Alison pressed.

Stiles nodded,

"Old, worn, bound in leather?"

"Bound in leather?" Alison's eyes showing the realisation, she nodded. Stiles beamed and ran off into the school.

He came back minutes later out of breath,

"Where," he panted, "Does he keep it."

Alison frowned,

"It would have to be in his office." Stiles nodded then moved quickly back into the building. Diana burst into giggles; Alison looked back to her with a smile.

"He's so goofy." Diana said happily, the other girl moved a little closer,

"I thought you and Logan were a thing?" She pressed.

"No, we were." Diana said, "He got weird so I ended it, now I can't figure him out."

"How do you mean?" Alison asked. Diana evaluated her answer for a moment before answering; it was in these moments that she doubted that Alison would have the gumption to be a hunter in charge of the family business.

"He is magic like me, but I can't place his loyalties." She shrugged. Alison nodded,

"Is he working for Derek? Scott said that he was with them at the ice rink."

"Honestly, he could be working for your grandfather for all I know, he doesn't exactly tell me things like that." Diana admitted,

"What does he tell you?" Alison pushed; Diana began to become wary now.

"How if I have a kid with him it would take over the world." She said, Alison's eyes widened comically.

"Yeah, creepy right?" Diana laughed,

"You still talk to him?" Alison whispered shocked at Diana's revelation.

Diana just shrugged, she reached into her hair pulling a lock from behind her ear and absently braiding it.

"He knew me back when we were kids, it would be weird if I just cut him out."

Alison's face displayed her confusion but she didn't ask anything else.

Stiles came running back over then heavily out of breath; he took a moment and a puff from one of Scott's old inhalers to calm down.

"You know drug dealers have been using disposable cell phones pretty successfully for years."

Alison shook her head,

"My parents check every call, email and text message that I send." She said, Diana frowned,

"Well that's a healthy relationship" She mumbled.

"Trust me they'd find it." Alison insisted.

"All right." Stiles said, "Can you get the book?"

"Not without his keys." Alison thought aloud.

"Invite him to watch the game tonight." Diana said the idea popping into her head suddenly. "Then pickpocket him."

Stiles pointed at the red head,

"That, that might actually work." Diana beamed at him,

"Are, er, are you going tonight Di?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it." She said balling up a candy wrapper.

"I thought you were grounded?" Alison blurted looking back to Diana.

"Oh I am, but my Uncle wants to see the game so I have been given a one night pass." She aid brightly.

Stiles smiled,

"Great. I'll see you tonight then."

Diana smiled and nodded, she saw him off with a little wave. Alison smirked a little at their interaction. It was painfully cute.

It had been a long while since Diana had sat next to her Uncle Simon, these days he was usually busy with campaigning and election prep.

"So, Heather tells me that you've manifested another gift." Simon started slightly awkwardly. Diana laughed slightly,

"Yeah, prophecy. I think it's going to be a mild one though." She nodded rubbing her hands together; she could see her breath in front of her it was so cold.

"Still sure that your main is casting?" Simon asked looking over at the opposing team.

"Pretty sure, I mean I favour Will too." Will being telekinesis but so named for things moving from the will of the magical being.

"Not Charm?" Simon prompted; he existed in his career due to his powers being Charm. Diana smiled and shook her head no,

"Sorry Si but no, no politician's life for me." She laughed.

They didn't have chance to talk anymore as the play started in earnest, a large meathead in black on the pitch was obliterating the competition.

 _Thank Goddess that you are not playing tonight_. She thought to Stiles on the bench. He twisted in his seat to find her, his whiskey eyes locking with her green in an instant. It was like he was guided to her gaze.

 _Yeah, they call him the abomination_. He answered looking back as Coach sat next to him.

 _All set for the plan tonight?_ She asked,

 _Yeah, all set, whether it works or not is another matter_.

 _Well, best laid plans of mice and men_. She thought to him.

 _Mice and Men, nice_. Stiles shot back playfully. Diana looked at her lap and smiled,

 _Thanks_.

Diana spared a glance at Alison; she was now successfully wrapped in her grandfather's coat.

 _Alison has the keys_. Diana said her eagle eyes not missing anything.

Discretely Stiles stood and collected the keys from the waiting girl. Diana was sandwiched between her Uncle and other members of the crowd in the middle of the row. To leave she would have had to make a large scene and shuffle past at least seven people.

Simon winced as a kid in burgundy was loaded onto a stretcher and carried out to a waiting ambulance.

Diana hid her eyes and pulled out her phone. It was buzzing madly in her pocket.

"Got an admirer?" Simon teased; Diana smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Got a friend in need." She shot back opening the messages.

To Diana From Stiles

[Lydia is in her car crying.]

[What do I do?]

[Could you get Lydia?]

[Do I get Lydia?]

[Help, please.]

Diana sighed; she flipped the screen round for her Uncle to see.

"Go." He said sadly standing, "Go help your friend.

"Thank you!" Diana blurted. Moving off to the edge of the benches and jumping over the confined side. She landed with ease then shot off towards the car park.

 _Go get the book; I've got the crying girl._ Diana told Stiles feeling relief flushing the bond.

Diana saw the retreating body of Stiles as she strode forward to the car. Wrenching to door open and sitting in the car she turned taking in the startled and damp Lydia.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"If it's making you cry then it's clearly something." Diana shot back defiantly. "Tell me."

"I sound crazy."

"Alright, here goes, I'm a Witch, my whole family are magical, Alison's are hunters and Scott's a Werewolf."

Lydia's eyes went wide.

"That makes sense." She said quietly, Diana nodded.

"So, you gonna tell me what's driving you crazy or do I have to guess?" She prompted gently. Lydia smiled wetly,

"I am seeing a burnt up man everywhere, and I punched a mirror in my sleep." She sniffed. Diana pursed her lips.

"Hmm." She hummed, "Problem that." She deadpanned.

"That all you have to say?" Lydia demanded laughing incredulously. Diana smiled at her friend taking the gloved hand.

"Hey, look, we will get through this together. It might be a supernatural thing that is affecting you. I mean after a Were biting you and nothing happening this could just be the manifestation of that." Diana reasoned squeezing her friend's hand.

"Were you supposed to tell me all of this?" Lydia asked after a moment.

"Nope." Diana pulled a face, "Not at all, I was supposed to keep you totally in the dark but although we don't know _what_ you are, you deserve to know that you are _something_."

"Thank you." Lydia sighed. Diana pulled her into a hug and clutched her tightly.

"As if I could not. It's killed me for years not being able to tell you." Diana laughed, tears softly rolling down her face now.

"I won't tell anyone that I know." Lydia promised pulling back from the other red head.

"I appreciate that. I'm in enough trouble as it is; I pissed off the coven by going after you when you went on your night hike the first time." Diana smiled wiping at her face.

"Wait, you found me with magic?"

"No. With Scott's dog nose. If I used magic then I would have broken a Coven secrecy measure and been more than grounded. If we hadn't found you that night however then I would have."

"Wow, we have so much to talk about." Lydia said blown away.

"I know, but we can't tonight. Soon though?" Diana said sadly. Lydia nodded in response.

"You okay now?" Diana asked smoothing back a lock of strawberry blonde hair, "Okay to drive back?"

"Yeah, I'll text you when I get back." Lydia said smiling now.

"Good. You better or I will be checking on you." Diana mocked pointing at her.

Lydia laughed thickly; Diana left the car and stood watching as she pulled away down the road.

 _Diffused._

 _Thank god_. Stiles said instantly responding. _Because we have bigger problems. There's no book here_ , _but Erica is_.

 _The fuck does she want?_ Diana hissed.

 _To take me to Derek at the pool apparently._

 _Alright I'm on my way._ She rolled her eyes and marched into the school.

Diana arrived confidently to witness Derek crushing a basketball.

"Classy Dare-Bear." She deadpanned coming to a stop beside Stiles. He was usually a quite a bit taller but in her tan heeled boots she came up to just below his eyes.

He breathed out heavily as her scent filled his nose. The comfort was instant.

"We just wanted to ask him a few questions." Derek said calmly threatening the younger pair.

"No." Diana said shortly.

"Just want to know what this new thing is. What it looked like. That's all." Derek tried again.

"No." Diana repeated.

"What are you his lawyer?" Erica snapped. Diana's eyes flitted to her briefly.

"I saw the thing to. Reptilian and had a tail." Diana told Derek, Erica growled but Diana continued to ignore her.

"Don't ignore me." Erica growled. Stiles caught himself before taking a step back.

"Alright! The thing was pretty slick looking. Um, skin was dark. Kind of patterned. Uh, I think I actually saw scales. Is that enough? Can we go?" Stiles admitted hurriedly. As much as he liked that Diana was with him he really did not want to hang around much longer.

Derek fixed them with a dark look,

"Fine, eyes. Eyes are, um, yellowish and slitted. Lotta teeth too." Stiles continued.

Diana focused on Derek; he was no longer looking at them but at the railing above them. She followed his gaze.

The creature.

What happened next happened fast.

Erica slammed into the tiled wall and was out with a sickening thump. Derek pushed Stiles back into Diana as the thing slashed at him catching the back of his neck.

Stiles then somehow managed to try and drag Derek away, fumble for his phone, drop it and Derek who crashed into Diana both cascading into the still pool water.

"You idiot!" She spluttered trying to hold her former babysitter above the water while also treading water in two meter deep liquid.

Stiles plunged into the pool to help Diana hold up the increasingly heavy body of Derek Hale.

"Can you see it?" Diana asked,

"Maybe it took off?" Stiles said hopefully.

A wicked shriek shattered that hopeful illusion quickly.

"Maybe not." Derek deadpanned. His body dangling limp in the water inactive from the paralysing venom.

"Will you get me out of here before I drown?" Derek demanded.

"Dare-Bare, there is nowhere I would really rather be right now, I promise but the monster out there may not have left." Diana sassed, she was quickly growing tired.

"I don't see it." Stiles offered looing round; Diana looked about her too, her dark red hair blackening in the low light and water.

Together they began to drag Derek to the side of the pool.

"Stop, stop, stop. Wait, wait." Derek protested,

"I see it." Diana whispered.

It prowled round the water edge hissing at them.

"What's it waiting for?" Sties asked. Neither said anything more trying with all their energy to keep Derek afloat.

It circled them more times hissing at the water. It ventured one hand into the water but drew back like it had been stung hissing.

"Wait, did you see that?" Stiles asked, Diana nodded.

"No water, got it." She answered.

"I don't think I can do this much longer." Stiles panted out. Diana nodded,

 _My Uncle is going to be so pissed_. She thought at him no longer able to form words.

"No, no, no, no, don't even think about it." Derek ordered.

"Could you trust me just this once?" Stiles asked frustrated at the wolf's lack of faith.

"No!" Derek answered his mouth dangerously close to being submerged.

"Well it's me and Di that are keeping you alive ok?"

"Yeah, when the paralysis wears off who's gonna be able to fight that thing you or me? You've made our best exhausted with this." Derek sassed.

"That's why I've been holding you up for the past two hours?"

"Yup, you don't trust me. I don't trust you. But you need me to survive, which is why you're not letting me go. Diana felt like she was about to pass out, the force required to hold up the weight of a fully grown man wolf was astronomical, even with Stiles' help.

Stiles threw Derek off and pulled Diana to the shore, her breathing laboured and heavy. He snatched the phone and rapidly swam back to where Derek was in the centre of the pool. Diana waved him off and floated a little on her back her jeans pulling her down slightly.

"Supernatet." She whispered to herself, her jeans becoming buoyant.

"Scott?" Stiles said pressing the phone to his ear. A second later he let out a high pitched noise of indignation.

"He hung up on me." He scoffed to Diana.

With a growl of frustration he dived down and retrieved Derek.

Fifteen minutes of exhausting floating later.

"I can't stay up much longer; I need something to hold onto. Di? You okay?" He called to Diana floating a little way off. He received a wave in reply, judging that to be fine he began to drag Derek to the diving board.

Stiles' reached for the handle but his wet fingers kept slipping off unable to get a good grip. He began to sink.

Diana's attention caught when she could no longer feel Stiles in the water. The magic that she had been using to keep him warm and a little afloat finally ceasing. Energy flooded back to her. She was still bone tired but now she was re-invigorated.

Scott. She could see him crouched on the diving platform as he let out a mighty roar.

There was a brief battle, Diana would have described it more as a tousle than anything and then it was over. The creature had fled through the glass ceiling.

"Diana!" Stiles exclaimed. Diana didn't register being pulled from the water, nor did she feel the blanket around her, she did feel the rough kiss on the forehead that Derek pressed as she was sat on the shore. They both were panting heavily.

Diana tiredly hit at Derek's arm her head resting on the other,

"Let's not do that again." She laughed brokenly. Derek smiled at her helping her to stand.

Stiles took over guiding them outside. He and Scott were talking about the bestiary and how it was digital and not physical.

When they got out into the cold Diana shivered involuntarily and pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders.

"Why are you so tired?" Scott asked, "Stiles is fine."

"Heat magic, it takes so much energy." Diana slurred slightly as if she was a little drunk.

"But I've seen you heat up a cup of water till it boils before." Stiles said confused. Diana nodded,

"Cup of water is nothing, three people, big pool, two hours, lotta energy." She explained succinctly, budgeting her words carefully.

Stiles nodded and pulled her closer into him, his arm wrapping protectively round her shoulders as he helped her to navigate the stairs to the car park.

"Can I borrow your phone Scott?" Diana asked after a second, she looked about her at the now exceedingly empty car park and balked, the game had been over for a long time and her Uncle had driven her here.

Wordlessly he handed it over.

When they reached his car he pulled out his laptop and brought up the Bestiary.

[Hi, Phone dead, be home soon, with friends. Di.]

Diana quickly sent to the only number that she remembered, her Aunts. She didn't expect a reply but she got one almost instantly,

[So long as you're okay. Get home safe.]

"Is that even a language?" Scott asked, "How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?"

Diana looked over his shoulder offering him his phone back.

"Oh look, ancient Latin." She sing-songed. Scott looked at her strangely, her happy attitude not fitting the situation and he had a feeling it was some form of British sarcasm.

"It's called a Kanima." Derek said calling their attention past Diana.

"Ugh." Diana groaned. "Seriously?"

"You know what one of those is?" Scott demanded incredulously.

Diana nodded heavily.

"You knew the whole time?" Stiles sassed at Derek.

"No," he shot back, "Only when it was confused by its own reflection."

"It doesn't know what it is. Or who." Scott hypothesised. Diana nodded heavily again, her chin hitting her chest every time.

"Okay Di, let's stop that before we hurt ourselves there." Stiles said wary of Diana.

"What else do you know?" He said to Derek.

"Just stories." Derek answered. "It's a shapeshifter, but it's not right. It's like a, uh…" Derek paused searching for the right word,

"Abomination." Stiles supplied.

"Yup, abominination." Diana confirmed, Derek looked her over again then turned his stiff gaze in Stiles,

"See she gets home safe." He commanded.

"Derek." Scott called stopping the elder wolf from leaving. "We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents."

"You trust them? Booo." Diana pouted at Scott.

"No-one trusts anyone." Scott protested. "That's the problem! While we're here arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us, and it's killing people!"

"We still don't know anything about it." Stiles interjected.

"I do know one thing. When I find it, I'm gonna kill it." His face hardening into a mask of pure determination.

"Big broody wolf time." Diana mumbled with a smile.

"What?" Stiles asked confused, She just smiled up at him,

"I don't know man, I'm just so tired." She laughing cried pitching forward from the car she leant against.

"Okay. Time to go." He shot forward and caught her before she hit the pavement. Derek had long since marched off into the night with his beta in tow.

Stiles managed to bundle Diana into his Jeep bid goodbye to Scott and have her on the road before she came round. He looked over to her, her wet hair limp by her head, her eyeliner gone and her pale skin dappled with faint freckles that were usually hidden behind makeup.

She looked to him the most beautiful thing in the world.

Diana groaned, coming round slightly,

"How did I get here?" She asked.

"Me." Stiles answered, his own eyes feeling heavy.

"Oh." She said, "Thank you Batman." She mumbled drifting back into unconsciousness.

Stiles smirked to himself. Yeah, Scott could keep the wolf powers, he was Diana's Batman.


End file.
